The Four Nations
by DeathGodSlayer
Summary: Airbending. The art lost to the pages of history. Taken by a powerhungry Fire Lord. The hope of possibly restoring this art is rekindled with the rearrival of Avatar Aang. Yet Aang is soon to discover that he is not alone...
1. The Unified Village

**The Four Nations**

Book 2: Earth**  
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Chapter 1: The Unified Village

by DeathGodSlayer

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><p>"That was great Twinkle-toes! Just remember to use that experience with the Sabre-tooth Moose-lion and the mindset you went into while facing it and you'll have Earthbending down in no time!" Toph commented enthusiastically to Aang, who sat on Appa's head away from the others on the saddle, steering the large six-legged flying beast through the sky.<p>

"I don't want to think about my friends being in danger everytime I want to use Earthbending, there has to be a better emotion required than fear. The emotion of feeling free, even the element of freedom is the foundation for Airbending. For Waterbending the element of change is the foundation..." Aang responded sadly, his actions against the animal were uncalled for, but he had to save his friend Sokka from danger.

"But you didn't show fear. It was raw willpower that held you in place and stopped the Sabre-tooth Moose-lion. That is the foundation of Earthbending, the emotion of Willpower, to be able to move the Earth itself." Toph responded before spitting off the side of Appa.

"Whatever the case we've got a start on Aang's Earthbending. If anything that's good progress for us." Katara responded, trying to lighten the situation and atmosphere upon the Bison.

"Yeah, all that's left is to find a Firebender that doesn't want to kill Aang and have them teach Aang Firebending..." Sokka responded sarcastically, leaning his head over the saddle to watch the clouds. Suddenly his stomach growled loudly, he clutched his stomach in pain. "And I'm still starving!"

The grumbles of the other's stomachs made them humbly agree to Sokka's statement. "Perhaps we should land and look for some supplies and food before we set off any further." Katara spoke first, the rest of the group nodding in agreement.

Out of nowhere, an unseen blast smashed against Appa, spinning the bison in the air, quick reflexes had the group managing to hold onto the saddle, Sokka catching Toph before she fell, Appa recovered in the air, spinning back around until his riders were comfortably on the saddle again.

"Was that... Airbending?" Sokka curiously and hesitantly asked, it felt as if Appa was hit by a gust of wind, but that couldn't be possible.

"It was Airbending!" Aang replied excitedly, almost shouting it to them. "I knew I couldn't have been the last Airbender, I just knew it!" He yelled ecstatically, steering Appa downwards to inspect the matter further. "Let's check it out!"

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><p>"Aang, I don't think we should approach whatever caused the blast so hastily, it might be a trap, or they might react badly." Katara whispered to the excited boy as they near the area where the blast came from.<p>

"Or it could be an Airbender just like me, and if it is, they won't react badly, they'll just be glad there is someone else like them!" Aang replied happily, although in a hushed voice.

They approached the location cautiously, hiding safely behind bushes. It was a clearing where to boys were currently fighting, they had the oddest hair colours imaginable. One had hair as bright as the sun, with large ocean blue eyes. The other had a deep crimson red colour to his hair with turquoise eyes to go with it.

"I haven't seen anyone with red hair since when Bumi was younger, and I've never ever seen anyone with yellow hair..." Aang spoke to Katara, Sokka and Toph, staring at the two boys in mild surprise, the yellow haired one look worse for wear, while the other seemed perfectly alright standing ready to take anything.

The yellow haired boy's hair was naturally spiky, with two bangs framing his face and a set of bangs across his forehead. He was dressed in an bright orange shirt with black short sleeves, his legs had pants that were a similar orange colour, hits boots were more of a darker red, styled very much like Aang's with the bottom of his pants being tucked into them.

The red haired boy's hair, like the yellow hairs was also naturally spiky, yet his was slightly more wavy, having thinner and longer bangs parted to the left side, revealing an almost scar on his forehead, the scar was shaped in the symbol for 'love'. Another distinction to him was the black rings around his eyes, making his eyes look even more dulled. He wore full-length dark trousers, with a pair of laces on each leg, respectively a few inches below the waist and the knees, a long-sleeved crimson coat with flaring hemlines on the front and the back, a grey holster vest held in place by a single strap over his left shoulder and by two buckled belts which he uses to carry his gourd. He also wears another pair of casually worn belts around his waist. Unlike his opponent instead of wearing full boots he wore black sandal like shoes. Yet on his back was also a massive gourd, the contents of which remained unknown.

"Hmm..." The red haired crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You're slacking." He spoken apathetically, almost bored even. Suddenly a large block of Earth appeared out of the ground before him, the red haired looked unfazed as the block of Earth rose directly in front of him.

Toph's eyes widened as she watched the fight through her seismic sense. "Incredibly, that one's an Earthbender." She told the others, pointing towards the red haired.

"But he didn't move, he didn't do any of the some strong punches to bring up the Earth?" Sokka spoke in confusion, speaking at a quick pace, his head flipping back and forth between the red head and Toph.

"He did move, but it was an impossibly small amount." Toph responded, she saw it all through he sense of vibrations in th Earth, no matter how faint it was. "He moved his foot barely a fraction of a millimetre to bend the Earth, it's almost as if he's bending the Earth with just his mind."

"Well Bumi could Earthbend with just his face, while being encased in metal and levitated off the ground. So I don't see why Earthbenders have to move, but still it's incredible to see..." Katara replied, remembered the aged, deranged king of Omashu.

The red head suddenly launched the Earth towards the yellow haired boy, who grinned as it approached him. With one quick movement he slashed his arm through the air.

To the surprise of all of them, a crescent shaped blast of air was created behind his arm, that launched towards the slab of Earth, the air, it was shaped into something like a blade, it cut straight through the block of Earth and continued towards the Red head, who sunk into the ground to dodge the attack, before propelling back upwards out of it.

"Now that was some cool Airbending! He totally stood his ground and can make blades of air to attack!" Sokka noted excitedly, fond of anything that made blade like attacks or shapes.

"You're right. Airbending uses the principals of dodge and evade, using the opponents strength against them. But his Airbending was much more offensive, as if he meant to inflict serious damage." Aang responded, remembering his teachings from Gyatso and the other elders.

"Am I really slacking?" They heard the yellow hair speak, both boys had to be older than Aang, perhaps around Toph and Katara's age of 14, maybe as old as Sokka. He was surprisingly upbeat, his tone of voice almost on par with Aang's natural happiness and giddiness, he grinned widely, before continuing. "It's hard fighting against the natural opposite to your element. We've always had problems fighting against each other, but I guess that's what makes it good training!"

Toph's eyes suddenly widened even further. "There's someone behind us!" She called out to her team, and they're close, really close! I should have sensed them sooner than this!"

"That's right, you probably should have." The group's eyes collectively widened, turning around they saw another boy staring down at them, with jet black hair, spiked at the back with two long bangs framing his face and three shorter ones across his forehead. His eyes were onyx black, and set in a mocking stare, as was the smirk on his face. But perhaps the most worrisome was his uniform. It was most certainly that of a high ranking Fire Nation soldier, his armour even more elaborate than Admiral Zhao's was. The chest plate was a burgundy colour lined with gold around the edges, with a red shirt with tight red armlets on his arms, keeping the baggy shirt held down at the forearms. His legs were covered by red pants leading into black boots, with burgundy cloth lined with gold falling around his waist, on the front and back and both sides only.

"Fire Nation!" Sokka shouted in both anger and fear, the group jumped backwards into the clearing away from the Fire Nation boy, surprising the two boys already in the clearing. The Fire Nation boy followed them out into the opening.

"Both of you run while we fend this Fire Nation soldier off!" Aang shouted to both the other boys, before looking specifically at the yellow haired boy. "I need to talk to you later!" He exclaimed loudly, before positioning his staff threateningly towards the Fire Nation soldier, Katara, Sokka and Toph also taking defensive stances.

"Hey, Sasuke..." The yellow haired boy spoke, greeting the black haired boy warmly, giving a small, confused wave at the actions of the others.

The Fire Nation boy gave a nod in return, giving a small smile as well. The group's defensive stances loosened. "You know each other?" Sokka asked in confusion, looking at how comfortable both the blond and the red haired appeared to be.

"Yes." The Fire Nation boy answered Sokka's question, before turning to the yellow haired boy once again. "I told you I would find them, but it was your power that brought them right to me, although I never expected them to be so jumpy." He chuckled lowly before moving over to the other two boys. Aang and the group carefully watched his movements as they turned right around they were met with the grin of the yellow haired boy.

"Hey! The name's Naruto Namikaze. And this is Gaara Sabaku and Sasuke Uchiha!" He spoke eagerly, pointing to the red head and the Fire Nation boy respectively.

"What's going on here? Are you in cahoots with the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked suspiciously, raising his boomerang up again, glaring hard at all three of the boys.

The yellow haired boy, Naruto looked directly at Aang. Giving him a small, respectful bow of the head, complimented with a smile. "Avatar Aang." He spoke to their surprise, surprised at how easily he recognised Aang. "Welcome to the village of Sìguó, you and your friends are safe here. I promise you. I'll show you the way to town if you like, where you will be offered food and a place to rest. If not, then you can be on your way and we will pretend like you were never here."

At the mention of food, Aang's group's stomachs growled loudly and simultaneously. "I can't say no, I have some questions for you. But if you swear that no danger will come to us, we will join you back to your village." Aang's eyes darted towards the Fire Nation boy, Sasuke at the word danger, narrowing suspiciously.

"I swear. Follow us, we'll lead you to town." Naruto grinned, walking in front of Aang's group with Sasuke and Gaara, despite the fact they were 'leading' them, a path was already pretty much put in place, all they did was follow it on the way to town.

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><p>"So Sìguó, that means Four Nations doesn't it. What's the story behind that name?" Sokka asked in interest as they passed through the gates of the village, a large wall of earth surrounding it. As soon as they entered they found the meaning behind the name was very evident.<p>

Walking around the town were Earth Citizens mostly, but there were even Water Tribes people walking around, probably on migration from the North Pole to the South Pole. "Water Tribe, Earth Citizens." Katara looked around in amazement, but she stopped in place, staring in shock at a sight.

Even Fire Nation was in here, both normal citizens and fully armoured soldiers, they sat comfortably or walked around town. "What's going on here? Why are the Fire Nation in this village?" Sokka immediately jumped in accusation at the sight.

"Not all of the Fire Nation is evil." Gaara spoke for perhaps the third time in total since they saw him fighting against Naruto, that including what he said to Naruto before they learned his name. "Around you now you see the citizens of the Fire Nation that would like to see this war come to an end."

"This village in an envision, where the four nations come together in peace as they used to one hundred years ago. So that's what it does really." Naruto shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to explain the situation. "The village leader offers refuge to anyone who is passing through, even Fire Nation soldiers. Although Fire Nations soldiers, even suspicious looking citizens are heavily monitored during their stay in the village and informed of any attempts to bring the war into this village or to bring this village into the war will be met with severe punishment and consequences."

"Amazing..." Aang looked around in wonder at the village. "How all these people could come together like this, even when their on the opposite sides in this war." He looked over to a small park, children from all races were playing happily together, none were being excluded or prejudiced against. "Even with all the strife in the world people can still come together." Aang smiled peacefully, before his face hardened slightly, looking towards their three guides. "I'd like to meet your village leader please, I want to thank him for show me that there is hope for the future of the world."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly in mild surprise, before turning into a wide grin. "Sure! Follow me!" He gestured for them to follow him with his hand. Leading them towards the largest house in the village, all houses were made out of Earth and painted elegantly, this house being the grandest of them all. Naruto entered through the front door without notice or warning. Sasuke and Gaara followed after, Aang and his friends walking into the house last.

The front room was empty, yet it was obvious this was where all this business for the village happened, it was a grand room with a consistent shade of green going around the room. With the colours yellow, red and blue thrown around on items such as the curtains or rugs. At the far wall of the room was a small wooden step, over the platform was the banners of all four of the elements; Water, Earth, Fire and Air in that order from left to right. Underneath each banner was a sitting cushion, a yellow one under the Air banner, red under Fire, blue under Water and green under Earth.

"Whoa!" Everyone heard Sokka exclaim in awe, everyone turned to see him marvelling at an incredibly large sword with a curved tip, the blade was almost the same height as Sokka himself, the sword casually leaning against the wall, there was a full circle cut out of the blade near the hilt of the blade and a semi-circle cut out of the edge near the tip. "That's a really big sword!" Sokka was almost drooling, his hands unknowingly moving towards the massive blade.

"Hey!" A hand came down to slap Sokka's, snapping him out of his trance. They all so another boy, the same age as Naruto, Gaara and Sasuke. His hair was a silver white, with an unnatural faint blue tone to it reaching down to his shoulders, the colour instantly reminding Sokka of another's hair. His unusual purple eyes were narrowed, glowering at Sokka. He was seen in a blue shirt with white stripes in the middle of the sleeves. On his arms he wears blue sleeves which appeared to have been cut out from his shirt, not being connected to the rest of his clothing in anyway. He also had leather straps around his back and chest, crossing over at the front with plain blue pants going into brown boots that reach halfway up below the knees. "That's MY really big sword!" He mumbled out, eyeing out Sokka as he snatched the blade away from Sokka, carrying it as if it was nothing over to the platform, where he placed it against a wall again and sat on the blue cushion. "So Naruto, Gaara and Sasuke, found the Avatar have you?" The boy spoke with a wide grin.

"Yeah, and he wants to meet the village leader." Naruto chuckled, he Gaara and Sasuke all moving onto the platform, sitting down on the yellow, green and red cushions respectfully. He smiled once more before addressing the group. "Together, we make up the leader of this village."

All their mouths dropped at the statement, staring wide eyed and agape at the four boys before them. "That can't be possible, you all can't be over 15!" Sokka shouted in disbelief.

"We are all 15 but together we have a collective age of 60, so we can plan out for the village better! And you best believe it, we built this village ourselves about one year ago!" The white haired boy called out again. "The name's Suigetsu Hozuki by the way." He quickly introduced himself.

"Avatar Aang." Naruto spoke again with a smile, it appeared he and Suigetsu were the talkative ones, as Gaara never spoke and Sasuke didn't seem to want to. "You are welcome in the village whenever you like, and you are free to stay as long as you like."

"So if that's the Avatar and he has arrived at our village for the first time there is only one thing left to do..." Suigetsu grinned madly, before getting up and stepping outside the house. "PARTY!" An eruption of cheers were heard by the villagers, eager to get a party on the road.

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><p>The party kicked off quickly, a fire was lit, light dance music filled the air and a variety of food equalling a feast fit for a king came flooding in. Everyone took off to their own individual segments, either beginning with dance, food or just relaxing.<p>

Two hands darted for the same piece of meat, grabbing it at the same time. Suigetsu and Sokka scowled at each other, daring the other to be the first person to pull at the food. Their faces covered with smudges from food they wolfed down in an attempt to out eat the other.

However both of them began laughing loudly, giving a high five. "I have to say we got off on the wrong foot, but you're actually pretty cool!" Sokka laughed loudly, sighing loudly in content.

"Well you tried to touch my sword!" Suigetsu laughed as well. "You know, I've never met a Southern Water Tribesmen before, relations between the two Water tribes haven't been good lately."

"You're from the Northern Water Tribe?" Sokka asked in surprise, receiving a nodding from the currently chewing Suigetsu. "No wonder your hair seemed familiar to me, at the Northern Water Tribe the Princess Yue!"

"Yue!" Suigetsu's eyes widened at the name of the white haired girl. "How is she? I left the Northern Water Tribe when I was 12? Tell me how she is?"

"...She's dead..." Sokka responded hesitantly, Suigetsu's face went into shock, before falling dramatically. "You knew her?"

"She was my best friend. We shared a lot of things, including problems with our birth." Suigetsu responded solemnly, his hand brushing slowly through his silver white hair.

"Ah, well me and Princess Yue kind of had a thing, but it wasn't really a thing, it was definitely a thing, but not a serious thing, although it felt like a serious thing. In short, we had a thingy thing, that wasn't really a thing, but was indeed a thing." Sokka responded, trying to explain the relationship he shared with Yue.

"I literally did not understand one word of that." Suigetsu's face was one that wasn't impressed, his eyes had narrowed towards Sokka, his eyebrow had raised, with his mouth pushed as far as it could go to the left.

"Neither did I." Sokka replied quietly, before bursting into laughter. Suigetsu joined him near moments after, they laughing loud and filling the air.

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><p>Katara saw Sokka and Suigetsu laughing from afar, an arm slung around each other's shoulder. "So... are you really a Firebender?" Katara's words dragged hesitantly out her mouth, her fingers fidgeted around the cup between both her hands, her eyes looking over to the black haired boy sat next to her, his interest being solely on the camp fire on the many people dancing in front of him.<p>

"I am." The black haired boy replied, his eyes never leaving the festivities before him. Although he still managed to notice Katara's slight jumping out of her skin. "Firebending is not a power to be feared. The hands that wield the power in in actuality the things that should be feared."

"I think I understand what you mean..." Katara pulled her knees closer to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "I've met a few Firebenders with such conflicting personalities and opinions about Firebending. Like one called Jeong Jeong, he thought Firebending was an eternal burning curse, he hated the fact he was a Firebender. And there's these two other Firebenders that travel around together, Iroh and Zuko, Ir-"

"Zuko!" Sasuke's eyes snapped open at the mention of the name, h turned towards a confused Katara "Where is Zuko? How is he?"

Katara frowned significantly, she loathed that boy, who had chased her mercilessly around the world, who nearly burnt down her small village. "How is he? You have no idea what he has put us through! He's been chasing use around the world trying to capture Aang, he nearly killed Aang and himself at the North Pole. How could you possibly care for a monster like him?"

Sasuke's own eyes narrowed towards the Water Tribe girl. "You have no idea what Prince Zuko has been through. Have you ever wondered how Prince Zuko received that scar on his face?" Sasuke asked Katara, who's eyes widened, she hadn't thought about it before. "He received it from his father, being forced into an Agni Kai, a duel of fire against him, even after he refused and begged to not fight his father. Fire Lord Ozai branded him with that mark to show his cowardice, and all this happened because Prince Zuko spoke out against a plan that would sacrifices the lives of young recruits..." Sasuke's voice trailed of, only staring in annoyance at the water tribe girl. "You think because it's the Fire Nation against the world, because the Fire Nation started this war it is only you who has suffered, there are people in the Fire Nation who have suffered as well. Remember that." Sasuke stood up from his seat, walking away from Katara, who looked towards the ground in disappointment in herself.

_'Have I really been so judgemental, I mean, Zuko's sister seems crazy, and he got that scar from his own father..._' Katara thought sadly of the scarred Fire Nation Prince, perhaps she had made a great mistake about him.

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><p>"Why aren't you at the party?" Toph found the person she was looking for, Gaara. He stood away from the sights and sounds of the village party, standing on a bridge over a small river that seemed purposely built to flow gently through the village.<p>

"I could say the same thing to you?" Gaara responded, still overlooking the small river.

"My Seismic Sense is going into overload with the amount of people running around like maniacs, it's almost nauseating." Toph chuckled weakly, moving to stand next to the boy. She could think of his features, as she didn't know them.

"Gaara looked over to the smaller girl, he noticed the blank expression in her eyes, how they didn't move for the slightest thing. "You're blind." He realised quickly enough, getting a nod in return from the girl.

"Yeah, because of it my parents would allow me to do any good Earthbending, they kept me at the basics. So I would sneak out and learn better moves and techniques. My parents were always so overprotective and unable to see me as more than just a small blind helpless girl..." Toph replied, she could feel the sting of tears forming, but fought it back, she left her home for a reason, and nothing would change her mind about it.

"Hmm. My parents died when I was three." Gaara responded unhurt by the tragedy, no emotion in his voice at all. "My adoptive parents saw me as nothing more than a tool to be used to protect them. While you were pampered and treated like a princess, I was practically a slave. While your parents tried to keep you away from Earthbending, my adoptive ones nurtured and encouraged my use of it, all to create a better tool to protect them, so I could serve them better." Gaara continued, his voice never turning to irritation or rage, simply blank. "Do not misinterpret how your parents treating you as them not understanding. It is obvious they cared for you enough to keep you out of harms way."

"Well I don't want to be kept out of harms way!" Toph snapped, a single tear fell slowly down her face. "I don't want to be weighted on like I can't take care of myself, I can carry my own weight!"

"I'm sorry..." Gaara responded, looking back over the bridge. "I did not mean for my words to be insulting, it was merely an observation." Even when begin shouted out he had kept up this blank persona. "So your Seismic Sense, how does it work?"

Toph smiled at Gaara's apparent interest in her abilities. He didn't seem to be lying just to diffuse the situation, however she could be wrong. His heart rate didn't change at all, so he could just be a really good liar. "Through my feet I am able to sense vibrations in the ground, emitted from even the smallest of things. I create a mental picture of it in my head so I can basically see everything around me."

"Incredible. And can it be taught?" Gaara spoke again, Toph's eyes widened, for the briefest moment, his heart rate increased. Was it interest in her? Or excitement at learning about such a technique?

"I think so..." Toph smiled. "I could try teach you it, but I should warn you that it's not very detailed, I can see the shapes of people and distinguish them by the way they walk. But I can't see any major details, like clothes or facial features..."

"That's fine." Gaara responded back, before bowing respectfully to her, whether she could see or not. "I look forward to learning it." He rose back up and began walking away back towards the party.

"Wait!" Toph called out to him, Gaara stopped, turning around to face her. "I can see you're carrying a lot of weight, you body walks as though your carrying something big on your back, you kind of lean forward. What's that thing on your back?"

"A gourd." Gaara replied quickly, before turning around again.

"What's in it?" Toph asked further. This guy was different than Aang and Sokka, both of them were both open about lots of things, they were also both terrible liars.

"Sand."

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><p>"You know, I'm so glad that I found another Airbender..." Aang spoke quietly, he and Naruto sat away from the party, yet the sights of it could still been seen in the distance, the sounds had quietened, but could still be faintly heard. "Finally I have someone to play Air-ball with!" He suddenly spoke in a much more cheery, excited voice.<p>

"What in the world's Air-ball?..." Naruto looked towards the Avatar in confusion, eyebrow cocked up with the question.

Aang's face fell at his response. "How have you survived? Or does this mean there are still other Airbenders alive?"

"No, until I hear that you had come back, thought I was the only one. I've never encountered another Airbender..." Naruto spoke quietly and sadly, looking passively at the floor. "As for my survival, I'm not an Air Nomad. I was born and raised in the Fire Nation." Naruto revealed to the Avatar's shock, Naruto caught the expression on Aang's face. "Yes, all my certificates all my documents list me as a Fire Nation citizen."

"Then how is it you can use Airbender?" Aang asked with surprise and interest.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders in confusion. "From what I discovered my abilities go back to my Great Grandfather. He was an Air Nomad travelling the world at a young age when the genocide happened, therefore he wasn't at any of the temples. In fact as they were going on he met a Fire Nation woman and had my grandfather, who was born a Firebender. My grandfather eventually had my father, who became a High General in the Fire Nation Army, during a campaign in the Earth Kingdom he met a woman of Earthbending and Firebending descent, fell in love with her, deserted his campaign and retired from the army and had me, even though he was young he held a lot of standing with the Fire Lord, who praised his abilities. For some reason I was born a Airbender, I guess the ability to bend a particular element works the same as biological traits caused by Dominant and repressed genes, after three generations the gene that develops Airbender was finally dominant in me."

"So what happened?" Aang asked in interest again, this was incredible. Naruto had the blood of three nations in him.

"Obviously my parents hid my powers, and me aswell, to the rest of the world I didn't exist save for a birth certificate, kept me home schooled, only allowed to train at some times. Then when I was seven somehow Fire Lord Azulon discovered my dad's Airbender heritage and my mom's Earthbender heritage, despite they were both Firebenders. He had them executed for 'tainting the wondrous, powerful Fire Nation blood'. My parents had me escape on my mom's pet Nine-Tailed Fox and denied any existence of me, the fox took me all the way across the Fire Nation to a small village, I lived with a family called the Hyuuga family before I left at age 11, found Gaara, then found Suigetsu and Sasuke."

"I'm sorry for bringing it up..." Aang responded sadly, feeling uneasy with bringing up such a tragic past.

"It's alright!" His head snapped up to see Naruto beaming at him. "I quite like the story, it gives me hope that people will come together again one day. And besides, now that I found you I finally have someone to practise Airbending with!" Naruto's smile helped Aang smile again. "Follow me, I want to show you my Wind-board!"

* * *

><p>Her large train crushed the forest beneath it, smashing it's way across the world in search of the Avatar. He had escaped her after she had to make a quick getaway after coming across the Avatar's group and her brother and uncle all at the same time, without Mai and Ty Lee she was severely outnumbered, so she took out the biggest threat; her Uncle. Azula was not foolish enough to challenge the Dragon of the West, especially when he had reinforcements.<p>

"I'm so bored being cooped up in this thing all day..." Mai spoke, the boredom in her voice being incredibly obvious to all.

"Then why don't you count all the fluffy clouds as they pass by, Mai? It's a really super way to pass the time!" A cheery Ty Lee commented, attempting to make the best out of any situation no matter what it was.

"Well it will be hard when we're not travelling in a direct line." Mai pointed out sarcastically to the former circus member, who was staring out the window while sitting on her small throne.

"What did you say?" Fire Princess Azula's voice was laced with surprise, she hadn't noticed the train machine moving in a different direction, it was almost as if the conductor was trying to subtly move around something. "Conductor, care to elaborate?"

The conductor panicked on the spot, he had been caught red handed, sweat dropped from his forehead. "W-We were navigating around a village that lied directly in front of our course."

"And do I care about some meagre little village now?" Azula asked sarcastically, they had ran this train through many camp sties on their trail of the Avatar, why should this time be any different?

"We'll you see, there is a rumour about that village, Sìguó. Apparently that is where 'The Black Pyre' now currently resides. The men do not want to cross that path against him. So we were carefully moving around the village." The Conductor replied fearfully, surprised when he received no shouting or dismissal in return, rather, Azula seemed to sink into her throne in surprise.

"So that's where the cutie has been hiding all this time!" Ty Lee spoke eagerly, now completely interested in both the conversation and the town.

"Ugh, this isn't going to end well. I see a lot of shouting and fighting on the horizon." Mai let out a droning sigh, filled with contempt for the current situation, before she turned to Azula. "So what is it, Azula? What do you want to do?"

"Conductor! Set a course for the village of Sìguó!" Azula commanded, a large, pleased smirk growing on her face. "Time to go bring in at least one traitor to the Fire Lord."

"So does this mean?..." Ty Lee responded in a giddy voice, she hadn't seen 'The Black Pyre' in many years, not since her time in the Fire Nation.

Azula nodded to her air-headed friend. "Yes. Girls. Prepare yourselves. We're going to pay Sasuke a visit..."

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><p><strong>AN:** Hey there! DGS here. Well I told you it would be up soon, and here it is. I changed the name from The Four Nations; The Secret Airbender to just The Four Nations, it was simpler and easier. But anyways how was it? Review please. I have decent backgrounds for Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke and Suigetsu, Naruto's was pretty much explained, however there is still a lot to explain, like how they met and stuff. I was never a fan of dimension jumping, tbh I find it quite lazy. I prefer to add them into the time line of the opposite world.

**IMPORTANT**

Here's the thing, aside from Naruto, Sasuke, Suigetsu and Gaara there are three other characters from the Naruto world. Hinata, Neji and Sakura, again backgrounds have been made for them and there is also some comedy in there aswell.

To fit this story I have upgraded the ages of three characters Toph, Ty Lee and Azula. Toph is now 14 (as opposed to canon 12) and Ty Lee and Azula are now both 15 (as opposed to canon 14)

PAIRINGS

In the event of pairings I have them already planned out, so PLEASE dont suggest them, all Avatar pairings will remain the same, So SokkaxSuki, ZukoXMai, AangxKatara, yeah there all still there.

These are going to be the pairings (IF I EVEN WANT TO ADD PAIRINGS)

NarutoxHinata  
>GaaraxToph (I dont know why but I like it)<br>SasukexSakura  
>SuigetsuxTy Lee<p>

Uhhh. pictures of Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke's and Suigetsu's clothes are all on my profile if you want to check them out. Otherwise, stick around for Chapter 2: The Black Pyre, coming soon!

D.G.S


	2. The Black Pyre

**The Four Nations**

Book 2: Earth

Chapter 2: The Black Pyre

by DeathGodSlayer

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><p>The sun broke on the darkened sky, instantly cutting through the dark fabric that was the night's curtain. Light slowly began to shine over the land, including the village of Sìguó, currently recovering from a banquet party going long into the night.<p>

One lone guard stood atop the watch tower at the front gates of the village, staring out into the world beyond the small wall surrounding his village. He was dressed more elegantly than the other guards and soldiers. Wearing but plain black clothing with black shoes, his long sleeved shirt tied into tight black wristbands. But above that shirt was a shorter sleeved crimson red shirt, dazzlingly embroiled on the shirt was a dragon in golden cloth.

His face was young, yet held a serious manner to them. His golden eyes, narrowed as he stared out over the wall. His black hair was tied back into a ponytail at the top of the back of his head. His fringe was parted at the middle falling into two bangs framing his face.

His eyes narrowed even further as a heavy plume of smoke and debris appeared on the horizon, whatever it was it was closing in on the village quickly. As the thing moved closer to the village he could begin to make out what it was.

It was a large metal machine, ploughing along the open ground like a train, yet held the design of a tank. It's large wheels trucked through the earth, leaving deep trails behind it.

Yet the most important thing was the large Fire Nation Emblem on the front of the machine. His eyes went wide at seeing the distinctive red flame-shaped insignia. He turned around to carry the message of impending possible danger to the village leaders.

And that was when he realised he was not alone, his personal favourite leader out of the four had stood quietly behind him, not making his presence known. Only standing and watching the large machine truck towards the village. "It's alright, Tatsuo. I will deliver the message to Naruto, Suigetsu and Gaara." The fire guardian Sasuke spoke aloofly, almost unfazed by the possibility of danger. Perhaps that was why he was his favourite leader, his calmness no matter the situation, ever since he first met Sasuke in the Fire Nation he looked to him as a role model.

"What do you think it is, Sasuke, sir?" The young guard, Tatsuo asked his leader, turning to look at the machine closing the distance.

Sasuke responded with a long dreary sigh. "There's only one person in the Fire Nation I know who is crazy, confident and daring enough to bring the Fire Nation's machines of war to our village." Sasuke spoke, looking up to the morning sky, exhaling in annoyance at the situation. "Azula, I should have guessed this would happen."

"So what do we do?" Tatsuo spoke as a soldier asking his general, Sasuke lead the forces for the village, dealing with security and threats effectively using a combination of soldiers. They had acquired all sorts of soldiers for the village, Earthbenders, Waterbenders, Chi Blockers, Tatsuo himself stood as one of the few Firebenders in the village's forces as well.

"I'll deal with this." Sasuke responded bluntly, turning around and moving towards the ladder down the watch tower. "Tatsuo. Prepare your team for your _other_ duties. I feel they may be needed by the end of the day."

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><p>Sasuke returned to the large accommodation, passing through the greeting room to the back. Upon his return he found that both groups were awake, sitting around a large table quietly chatting amongst each other and drinking tea. Suddenly Suigetsu turned towards Sasuke and grinned. "Always the early bird aren't you, Sasuke? You're more like a messenger Hawk than anyone I've seen before, you're always up early and your eyesight's immaculate."<p>

"Yeah Sasuke, why don't you relax with us, have some tea. Toph told us how to make it, she said she was told it by an old man she met on the road, it's delicious." Naruto grinned widely, before taking another sip of the tea.

"We have a problem..." Sasuke spoke seriously, looking around to all of them, especially towards Aang and his friends. "Either by coincidence or intentional it appears that you have been followed. Azula is coming."

Suigetsu immediately began to snicker quietly to himself, Sokka looking over to him in surprise and suspicion. However on the other side Naruto's smile faded into a very serious frown, he dropped his cup on the table and stood up, even Aang's group went on the alert at the mention of her name. "This isn't good, if she's as reckless as you say the village could be in serious danger." Naruto spoke quietly.

"She's been following us for a while now, and now we have put this village in terrible danger. We should leave immediately." Aang's face hardened, even if his friends faces fell slightly at the prospect of them having to leave.

"It's too late for that now..." Sasuke responded almost immediately. "She's too close in her war machine now, she'll see Appa too easily in the air. Appa has to remain where we hid him for now, I'll deal with Azula. All of you remain in here and stay hidden. Let me deal with this."

"Absolutely not!" Naruto screamed defiantly to Sasuke's suggestion. "This village was about bringing people together, and that's how we will repel all threats! Together!"

"Shut up, Naruto." Sasuke replied back with a frown. " The Fire Nation doesn't know of your existence entirely, we need to keep it that way. Besides, I am one of the very few people who can deal with Azula personally. So as the representation of the Village's protection, I order all of you to remain hidden until Azula leaves." Sasuke ordered as a general would his soldiers, before turning around once again. Heading towards the door.

The remaining faces looked upon him in shock. It was the first time, Aang and his friends had heard the Firebender yell, he had kept a particularly calm persona, albeit not as aloof as Gaara's. His voice was powerful and frightening, something to expect from Firebenders nowadays.

Sasuke suddenly stopped in his movement, motionlessly at the door just before the exit back into the greeting room. "Naruto." He called out to the yellow haired boy, not turning around to meet his gaze. "In case something does happen to me now, I want you to remember this, it could be the most important thing in the world. I myself have never deciphered the meaning of it. But maybe you can..." Sasuke's head slowly turned, looking over his shoulder directly at Naruto. "'When the world's light fades, not even a Phoenix can be reborn from it's ashes'... If something happens to me, I want you to find out what that saying means." Sasuke finished with a small smile, before turning around and continuing out of the room, leaving the group of teenagers behind.

"What did he mean he was the representation of the village's protection?" Toph asked curiously, noting the weirdness of his words.

"We split the chores of a village leader between the four of us to lessen the load on each of us." Suigetsu explained with a smile. "Sasuke is one with fire, although destructive, fire is also protective, shielding people from the dark and giving them the means to survive the darkest of times, so Sasuke commands the village's forces, basically he is like our General. I, myself am one with water, which represents life. I manage the village accommodation and activities. Naruto is one with Air, the representation of freedom, so Naruto monitors who arrives and exits the village at what times and when, denying access to those we deem suspicious, although Naruto is very lenient. And finally Gaara is one with the Earth, the representation of stability. So Gaara looks after the villages Agriculture and resources, ensuring everything is in order or during a crisis, properly rations things. Not the greatest of systems, but it works." Suigetsu admitted at the end with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"And I have a question for you as well, what was so funny when Sasuke said Azula's name?" Sokka looked towards Suigetsu incredulously, expecting an answer.

Suigetsu chuckled again at the name. "What's funny is that some people worry that a past relationship will come back to haunt them, well Sasuke's literally did..."

Katara's eyes went wide in truth. "You don't mean..."

"That Azula is Sasuke's ex-girlfriend? Yes, I do mean that." Suigetsu laughed once again.

"Who the hell does he think he is ordering us like that?" Everyone heard Naruto mumble to himself. "Well I've never been one to listen to Sasuke's orders before, and I don't intend to start. If he wants us to stay hidden, then fine! But I won't be cooped up in here, waiting to discover what happens to my friend. I'd rather be prepared to jump in to help him!" Naruto's fists clenched, he began walking in the opposite direction from where Sasuke had left, heading towards a back room of some sort. Gaara silently stood up and followed, before the rest of the group followed afterwards. "We'll take the back entrance out and hide amongst the crowd." Naruto spoke to the group as they neared a back door to the large house.

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><p>The group broke off into smaller parties as they scattered across the streets. Suigetsu and Naruto going one way, whilst Gaara calmly walked in another, perhaps uninterested in running around as the others are. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph remained together, moving within the crowds to see what all the hubbub was about. They found the crowds parting as three figures walked down the streets.<p>

The three girls were met with whispered murmurs as they walked proudly through the streets of the surprisingly sizeable village. Eyes went eyed with horror at the emblem on the leader's armour, the flame crown set in her hair. The proud, powerful gaze and confident smirk present on her face. The streets practically cleared for Azula, Mai and Ty lee, it was as if they were still in the Fire Nation itself from the way all the peasant citizens acted.

Azula, Mai and Ty Lee walked down the main street, coincidentally leading to the largest housing within the village. "If anyone's going to know where he is, it will be the village leader?" Azula spoke with a sly smirk on her face.

And just as they approached the large housing, the very person they were looking for came out of the front door. Dressed in the elegant armour that had been made for his brother all those years ago.

As Sasuke left the front entrance to the house he was immediately glomped on by a girl in pink, with a long brown plaited hairstyle squealing loudly in delight. "Sasuke! It's been so long! How have you been?" The girl shouted loudly in delight, never ceasing her bone crushing hug.

"T-Ty Lee, you're here as well?" Sasuke groaned out in pain and surprise, trying to free himself from the girl's clutches.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke," Sasuke looked further behind Ty Lee, the other two stood there, although it was Mai who had spoken in her usual droll, bored tone. "I wish this obviously touching reunion was under different circumstances."

"Reunion or not." Sasuke groaned out, effectively also pushing the girl away from him with some force. "I don't want any of you in my village. Leave now." His voice was powerful, ordering them to leave quickly.

"And where's my hello, Sasuke?" Sasuke's eyes quickly focused on Azula, who was unfazed by his threatening tone. Her finger slowly pointed towards him at the chest. "That armour was built with a Prince in mind under my grandfather's orders. Do you really have the right to wear it? More so, you should show your Fire Princess some respect, after all you Are still a Fire Nation citizen."

"I no longer belong to one single nationality. I belong to the world, and the restoration of peace to it." Sasuke replied quickly, as if he had said it one thousand and one times before. "I have washed my hands clean of the Fire Nation's wrongdoings."

"Yes, it's been a long time since you abandoned the Fire Nation and everyone one in it... even the people who cared about you." Azula's smirk faded if only for a second before she regained her coll, calm persona. "Almost three years it's been since you left. I could have sworn you left to join up with Zuko. You two were always close friends."

"I will find Zuko one day, and help him restore his crown and honour to it in his own way." Sasuke responded bluntly. Matching Azula word for word. "It was never your destiny to rule the Fire Nation, Azula. You were neither born first nor born a male heir, you are just a liability." Sasuke smirked victoriously at Azula's narrowed eyes of fury, knowing he had hit a very tender sore spot in Azula.

However she begun to laugh to his surprise, starting as a small chuckle before exploding. "Zuko has lost all right to claim the throne after turning fully traitor!" Azula laughed hysterically. "He teamed up with the Avatar to deliver an attack against both the fire princess and his sister not two days ago! It's impossible for Zuko to become Fire Lord now, he was always weaker than me!" Her voice turned to a snarl at the end, a snarl of anger and rage.

Sasuke's eyes went wide in surprise. _'She and Zuko met two days ago, that means he can't be too far from here!'_ He thought in surprise, before collecting himself into a cool stance. "Leave Azula, if you are looking for the Avatar or Zuko, you will find neither here, whatever it is you are looking is not here."

"You're wrong there, Sasuke..." Azula chuckled darkly again, her fist tightening, something Sasuke noted quickly. "What I am here for... is you!" Her left fist suddenly punched forwards, a large ball of bright blue fire fired from her fist, blasting quickly towards Sasuke.

Sasuke responded instantaneously. Punching the air with his right fist, a ball of fire of his own shot from his tightened fist. It was unlike anything seen before. The flames had surpassed the usual colour of flames, orange being weak and blue being the hottest. These flames were a shadowy black, as if the very silhouettes of fire itself. The blue and black flames collided, exploding outwards into the air and onto the streets.

Sasuke looked around in horror as screams echoed through his ears. The flames had burst out into the crowd on onto the homes, beginning an inferno within the village, torching houses, lucky no person was struck, yet the ground burned at there feet.

Sasuke looked away from the Fire Princess, focusing on the fire around him, his arms and hands went wide and opened, his teeth clenched together as he focused intently. The fire began to lift into the air, moving back over to him and hovering over his head, staying a light and transforming into one giant flame, a flame mixed of black and blue. Sasuke roared loudly as he punched his fist towards the sky, the large fireball followed his movements, blasting it high and well over the wall. It was the sky's problem now.

"What do you want?" Sasuke barked at Azula, staring at the cockily smirking girl with contempt.

"I want to see you imprisoned as the traitor you are." Azula smirked happily. "That is what I am here for, to make sure you are imprisoned."

"And if I go with you, will you leave this village alone?" Sasuke responded quickly, his eyes narrowing towards the girl.

"I give you my word, if you leave now with me. No harm will come to this village." Azula smiled now, it only made Sasuke's eyebrow rise suspiciously.

He sighed out loudly, before walking over to her, holding his hands behind his back. "Very well then. Imprison me." His head lowered slowly, hearing the gasps of shock at the watching villagers, the look of horror and sadness upon their faces.

Azula chuckled darkly, slapping handcuffs around his wrist before grabbing a chain that was linked to them, pulling on it like a dog's leash, the chain circled around his body to the left, allowing him to walk forwards. He heard Ty Lee mutter a small apology as he walked passed, but didn't not check to see if it was sincere or not.

Azula led him out the village towards some of her Imperial Firebenders. "Take this traitor to the special prison cell designated!" She ordered loudly to two of them, who took Sasuke by his upper arms, dragging and pushing him away. Azula chuckled darkly once again, turning to her remaining Firebenders. "_Burn it to the ground..._"

* * *

><p>Fire spread quickly from the Firebenders, even the soldiers who had been peacefully living in the village turned at the sight of the Fire Princess, spreading destruction across the village. The Firebenders fled quickly, finishing their attack with a ring of fire encircling the village, ensuring that no one escaped.<p>

"Quickly! Waterbenders and Earthbenders begin pitting out the fires. If there's any Firebenders at all remain, try to control the flames and stop them from spreading!" Suigetsu ordered quickly, shouting through the village.

Katara, Aang, Sokka and Toph moved towards Suigetsu, who had closed his eyes. Suddenly his body seemed to begin leaking vast fluids of water, until his entire arms were covered in a thick watery cloak. "How did you do that?" Katara looked at the white haired water bender in shock at his technique, watching as he effortlessly spread the water over houses, dousing flames before moving onto the next house.

"It's an unique ability I possess. I call it water body, by drinking vast amounts of water and constantly being hydrated I can pull water out of my skin in order to attack quickly, easily and painlessly! Now you're a Waterbender, mind lending a hand? You too Avatar!" Suigetsu yelled quickly, not stopping to put out the flames.

"That is both incredible, and disgusting..." Sokka muttered loudly, being unable to help with the putting out of fires save for finding jugs of water and tossing them on flames, stepping on smaller embers on the ground.

Waterbenders quickly put out the fires ablaze on the roofs, whilst Earthbenders stamped out the burning flames on the floor with slabs of Earth, within minutes the village was free from further destruction of the fire, but was left with the small amount of damage received.

"I'm going after Sasuke!" Naruto proclaimed loudly, he had been unable to help with putting out the flames. It was the wrong idea to attempt to add air and oxygen to fire.

"I'll come with you, you won't be able to get him out of there alone" Suigetsu commented with a flashy grin.

"I want to help too..." Everyone turned to the young Avatar, his eyes hardened like steel. "Sasuke could have sold me out to her to protect the village and himself, but he didn't. I want to help rescue him."

"Sorry Avatar, but you have your own path to take. We can't afford to take time out of your schedule, Sozin's Comet is arriving soon, and you need to be ready." Naruto respectfully shook his head, declining Aang's offer.

"Actually, we've pretty much hit a stump on what to do." Sokka pointed out, moving to the centre of the group. "We don't have any idea where to go from here."

"I suggest Ba Sing Se." Gaara spoke out in return, standing with his arms crossed over his chest. "As the Avatar, you have to consider the possibility of a frontal attack against the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation. You will need a large army for that, something that the Earth King can provide. The quickest route to it is towards the Si Wong Desert west of here then North. If you like, I will show you the way."

Aang, appeared contemplative, before suddenly pulling out a map, scanning his eyes across it. "Yes, and that location isn't too far from Si Wong desert anyway..." Aang murmured quietly to himself, before noticing everyone was staring at him. Grinning sheepishly, Aang blushed as he put the map away before bowing respectfully towards Gaara. "It would be an honour for you to travel with us."

"But then whose gonna watch your village?" Toph asked loudly, surely she couldn't be the only one to note that all of the village leaders would have left the village.

Naruto smirked confidently. "We have a plan for situations like this..."

"Leaders!" Everyone turned to the sound of a new voice. A boy in plain black clothing with black shoes stood at attention, his long sleeved shirt tied into tight black wristbands. But above that shirt was a shorter sleeved crimson red shirt, dazzlingly embroiled on the shirt was a dragon in golden cloth. His face was young, yet held a serious manner to them. His golden eyes appeared half-lidded, as if upset, but not allowing it to get to him. His black hair was tied back into a ponytail at the top of the back of his head. His fringe was parted at the middle falling into two bangs framing his face. "Leader Sasuke had ordered me to summon my team for our secondary duties this morning at the sight of Azula's war machine approaching the village."

Next to Tatsuo was a girl dressed similar to him, with longer black hair tied back with a braid through it, her red shirt was longer, falling around her knees, with a larger more elegant design of a dragon on it. Her face held an air of confidence. It was Hotaru, Tatsuo's older sister.

Standing next to her was a larger man, with stubble on his chin and a lean, yet muscular build. With a conical corn hat covering his tied back dirty brown hair and a green scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. He was dressed in a sleeveless green shirt open at the front with green pants. Plastered on his face was a side splitting, cheery grin. It was Enlai, an Earthbender from the refugee population in Ba Sing Se.

Finally there was a significantly smaller boy, more around the age of Naruto, Suigetsu and Gaara, if not a few years older. Wearing a classic Earthbender uniform consisting of an open green shirt, green wristbands tied down with yellow bandages and green pants. This boy held himself similarly to Gaara, looking passive at the situation, his eyes as if he was looking into the distance. It was Bao Long, and 18 year old Earthbender also from the Upper ring of Ba Sing Se, leaving the Earth Capital after seeing the corruption of the government and Dai Li agents.

"So Sasuke saw that this would happen, he knew how we'd react and planned ahead..." Naruto laughed quietly under his breath. Naruto turned to Aang's group. "These four act as the leaders of the village when all four of us are called away for tasks. They will ensure the protection of the village." Naruto smiled wildly.

"So how we gonna catch up to Azula, for all we know she could be at sea by now?" Suigetsu asked intriguingly. Noting the possible vast distance between them and Sasuke.

Naruto only grinned widely in response. "Go get ready Suigetsu, I'll go wake him up..." Naruto laughed while walking away, leaving Aang and the gang confused, apparently Suigetsu got the joke as well, quickly running in and collecting a belt filled with water bottles and his large sword, before moving to the back of the building again with Gaara. Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph following closely behind.

"There's something under there." Toph pointed to the ground. "Something big at the end of a tunnel. There's also bars, and a door covered by dirt." She noted aloud to the others to their surprise.

"Correct, Gaara will you do the honours?" Suigetsu turned to the red head, who nodded once. With one swipe he moved all the dust from the floor, revealing a large wooden door with holes in it.

Suddenly the doors burst open with a large gust of wind. And out from it jumped a large beast of an animal, with red-orange fur and nine tails swinging behind it. Naruto sitting on its neck and shoulders. The beast was slightly larger than even Appa. It yawned loudly, it's eyes closing shut as it tried to adjust to the large amount of light.

Sokka screamed at the sight of the beast, moving several steps away from it and hiding behind Toph. Aang however stared in wonder at the creature. "A nine-tailed Fox, I thought they went extinct hundreds of years ago! I've always wanted to ride one!" He spoke with hope.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders at the comment. "I don't know if they are extinct. He belonged to my mom before she died. This guy helped me escape the Fire Nation, and he's lived with me ever since." Naruto offered a hand down to Suigetsu, the fox noting laid down, allowing Suigetsu to easily climb up and sit behind Naruto. Naruto looked to the others left on the floor "His name is Kyuubi, I believe it's the ancient language of the spirits for Nine-Tails, although I've never looked into it." He admitted sheepishly, before focusing directly on Gaara. "I'll see you in a bit." He nodded to the red head with a smile, before turning directly to Aang. "Stay safe. Stay alive." Naruto gently kicked the side of the fox's neck, with a loud roar it began to run at a remarkable speed out of the village, easily leaping over the wall before picking up even more speed out in the open land.

Gaara turned towards Aang and his group, giving one quick nod. "To Si Wong Desert."

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><p>Sasuke looked around his 'cell' in confusion. His hands were still chained behind him, yet he sat on a comfortable bed in an elegant room embroiled with the Fire Nation insignia. It was almost as if this room was for the captain of the ship. "This room... it's surprisingly luxurious for a prisoner. What's the catch, Azula? You've never been the giving type?" Sasuke looked towards one of the two girls leaning against the door to the room, Azula stood there smirking victoriously at him with his former friend Mai.<p>

"Being a member of the Uchiha family, practically the right hand of the Fire Lord, despite the disgrace shown by you and your older brother still affords you some standing and privileges. One of them being a comfy bed." Mai droned out in boredom, playing uninterestedly with a knife in her hands.

Sasuke scowled hard at the apathetic girl. "My brother did nothing disgraceful Mai. Remember everything he did for all five of us. Azula, you, Ty Lee, Zuko and I.-"

"And he gave everything up as soon as he turned against the Fire Lord and Fire Nation, your brother, who my grandfather looked up as a grandson, as a successor to his thrown should his own children and grandchildren prove inadequate. He chose a life of rebellion and treachery, as did you..." Azula cut Sasuke off, exhaling in boredom at repeating perhaps the shortest version of that story.

"So what are you going to do? Execute me as your Grandfather did to Itachi? Throw me in the Boiling Rock?" Sasuke asked with a cocked eyebrow, yet anger was present in his face.

Azula stepped forwards, bending forwards and cupping Sasuke's chin, tightly closing his mouth by squeezing his cheeks together. "No, Sasuke, we're taking you home. Straight back to the Fire Nation." Azula's sick twisted smile returned as Sasuke's eyes widened. "My father would like to have a few words with you."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey there! DGS here! Sorry this is a little late, but I lacked the motivation to write it quickly, but heyho it's done now. So how was it, kinda jumped straight into the action didn't it.

I know the replacement leaders seemed abit plot point. And I planned more interaction with them, but by the time I got to it I just cba. They will have larger parts in the future yes. I will post pictures of each of them on my profile, credit for the creation of each character goes to each individual artist who created them, I own nothing about them other than using them in my story. Once again, credit goes to the artists for creation, not me.

Kyuubi made an appearance, he will be Naruto's Animal Guide, kinda like Appa for Aang, Fang for Roku, Basco for Kuei and Naga for Korra (I think). I considered Kyuubi being female, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

For once one of my chapters reached the review count I expected, which is fantastic, so thank you for review, good or bad. I hope the praise continues, and flamers and haters... pfft, don't like it, don't read it, and go write your on basically.

On that topic, their was a lot of criticism about the planned NarutoXHinata pairing, and I understand your predudice against it, all I'm saying is that I might not do any pairings at all, I might only do GaaraXToph and SuigetsuXTy Lee, or I might make some last minute changes (I've recently been thinking about NarutoXJune). HOWEVER, I will say that no matter what Hinata and Sakura will make appearances, Hinata is especially imortant because it fits the storyline and a villain I have planned to join Azula, she is crucial for that role, plus she's also slightly for comic relief, but that will be explained later.

Next update... I plan to do two chapters, for each of the four village leaders (Naruto, Sasuke, Suigetsu and Garra I mean) I plan to dedicate one full chapter to each of them to develop their backgrounds and back stories, why they left the life they did and such. Seeing as his is the most relevant at the moment, I'm starting with Sasuke. Then I will do Chapter 4 as well continuing the story hopefully about the same time, so I might take a while longer. and for Demon Lacrima and The Namikage fans who are reading this, tbh I haven't even started planning the next chapters, I want to get this story up and running before continuing with them.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and hope you all have (or have had) a good day.

D.G.S


	3. Through the Flames of Vengeance

**The Four Nations**

Book 2: Earth

Chapter 2.5: Through the Flames of Vengeance

by DeathGodSlayer

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><p>"Once more!" A small nine year old boy, with raven black hair spiked at the back shouting, crossing his arms, with his fingers extended wide, ten small balls of fire appeared at the end of his fingers. He quickly slashed his hands back across, firing the balls of fire forwards. But they were weak, and moved slowly, barely leaving any damage on the wooden blocks before him. The small boy yelled out in annoyance, he had done everything correct as instructed, but still he couldn't perform the technique. "Why can't I do it, Itachi? I did everything exactly as you said, but I can't make the attack as swift or as powerful as you?" He whined loudly, turning to his left.<p>

An older, fifteen year old boy stood watching him perform the technique. Dressed in armour, the chest plate was a burgundy colour lined with gold around the edges, with a red shirt with tight red armlets on his arms, keeping the baggy shirt held down at the forearms. His legs were covered by red pants leading into black boots, with burgundy cloth lined with gold falling around his waist, on the front and back and both sides only.

"The Phoenix Feather attack is extremely complex, Sasuke, to keep the flames as small as the ends of your fingers is very difficult. You should be pleased that you are even able to have such a control over the size of your Firebending at such a young age." His older brother, Itachi replied with a warm smile on his face, and a nurturing tone to match.

Yet Sasuke sighed with disappointment in reply to his statement. "But you had already mastered this when you were my age. I will never be able to live up to our family name and serve the Fire Nation as well as you do..."

Itachi moved closer to his little brother, patting him gently on the shoulder. "I do not serve the Fire Nation as well as I could, Sasuke..."

"But the people look at you like a hero!" Sasuke returned, looking up to meet his taller brother in the eye. "They look at you as they would a Prince, I've seen them do it! You could have been the youngest General in the Fire Nation's Army's history, but you turned it down to work as Fire Lord Azulon's personal bodyguard!"

"I am no hero, Sasuke." Itachi replied with a small, humble smile on his face. "The heroes are out there, doing everything in their power to try and put this war at an end." Itachi spoke quietly, before he began walking away. "Get ready, Sasuke. You are coming with me to work today." Itachi called over his shoulder as he re-entered his house from the gardens.

Sasuke watched his brother leave in confusion, before shaking his head and beaming widely._ 'He must mean our Fire Nation soldiers, keeping the opposing forces at bay until Sozin's Comet arrives and the war ends.' _He thought with a smile as he hurried after his brother, quickly darting into his house and heading to his bedroom to get ready.

* * *

><p>"Why are we here, Itachi?" Sasuke asked his older brother, who walked beside him on his left as they walked through the large gates of the Fire Lord's Palace, the building was immaculate, more fit for a God than for a king.<p>

"Because I have been called for an important meeting with Fire Lord Azulon, he wouldn't give any of the details, but I must go to the meeting. When the Fire Lord calls for you, there is no way to reject it." Itachi spoke back in a calm voice, walking past the servants, who gave respectful nods of the head towards him.

"But why do I have to be here?" Sasuke whined in rebuttal. He had no reason to be here, he could be practising his Firebending right now, but Itachi had dragged him to the palace anyway.

"Because for the longest of times, the Uchiha family has shared close connections to the Fire Lord's family. Our ancestors, Madara Uchiha and Izuna Uchiha even helped lay the foundations of the new laws of the Fire Nation when the Fire Lord split off from the other Fire Sages and moved from a sage into a Monarch. We keep this tradition going by essentially being the Fire Lord's Right Hand, and now it is time for you to begin this journey." Itachi replied, explaining the history of their family and the Fire Nation. "Just as father was selected to watch over Crown Prince Iroh, and I was selected to watch over Prince Lu Ten, you will now be selected to watch over one of the Royal Family yourself."

Sasuke listened intently to Itachi's words, he had never known his family had such a standing, he knew his family was important, but he could never have dreamed he had such close relations to the royal family. He had also been completely unaware of how far he and Itachi had walked through the palace, they were nearing the gardens of the Fire Nation palace. "So who is it I am to serve?"

"Over there..." Itachi nodded to the lone person in the gardens, practising a series of Firebending moves, moving uneasily from one stance to the next, small flames followed the paths of his fists, barely large enough to even be able to call flames.

It was a young boy, with black hair tied back into a long pony tail, his gold eyes filled with jealousy and frustration as he launched each fire ball. His clothing was an elegant red and black, even having armour constructed for his small stature, a large chest plate and shoulder pads covering his upper body.

"Prince Zuko." Itachi called out calmly, the boy turning at the mention of the name. A smile seemed to grow on his face as he saw Itachi, quickly scampering over to the older boy. Completely ignoring Sasuke at his side.

"Itachi! Did you hear? Uncle Iroh and Lu Ten finally reached the wall of Ba Sing Se! They've begun their assault on the Earth Kingdom Capital properly now!" He spoke enthusiastically. A beaming grin across his face as he spoke of the two men. "I hope I can be as strong as Lu Ten one day, he showed me this Firebending move but I just can't get the hang of it."

"Of course I heard, Zuko. It was national news." Itachi chuckled quietly at the young prince's obliviousness to national news. "By the way Zuko. This is my younger brother Sasuke. He's here to keep you company whilst I attend a meeting with Fire Lord Azulon." Itachi smiled, pointing Zuko's gaze towards the small boy next to him. "And I must be going now, Sasuke. I will pick you up later,. Have fun." Itachi gave a sincere smile to his brother, accompanied by a small wave before walking away, heading back into the palace.

Both the young boys watched him leave, before turning to each other, allowing the awkward silence of the situation grow between them, both looked to the ground, unsure what to say to the other.

"So..." Zuko finally spoke. "You're an Uchiha?"

"Yes, Itachi is my older brother. My name is Sasuke Uchiha, son of Fugaku Uchiha." Sasuke said proudly about his relationship to both of the people.

"Then as an Uchiha it is your duty to serve me." Zuko replied with a cocky smirk on his face. "After all that is the tradition between our families that has gone on for generations."

Sasuke seemed to scowl at first at the mention of serving another, before he bowed his head dutifully and respectfully. "Then how shall I serve you, Prince Zuko?"

"You can serve me by..." Zuko seemed to ponder on the question, tapping his chin contemplatively, before a grin emerge on his face. "by being it!" He said playfully, giving Sasuke a small shove to the shoulder before running off, laughing as he ran away from the other boy.

Sasuke looked in surprise at the Prince's actions, before a smile grew on his own face. Immediately he began chasing after Zuko, trying to tag him. As the two boys played happily in the gardens, they were completely unaware that they were being watched.

Three girls sat at the edge of the gardens. "There goes Itachi again." One of them said in a dreamy sigh, her long brown hair tied back into a braided ponytail.

"Ty Lee and her crushes." Another said mockingly, her hair was shorter and black in colour, also tied up, but the bun resting at the back of the top f her head. "And Mai's too busy staring at Zu-zu to notice anything else."

"Sh-shut up, Azula." The third said in a dull, yet obviously embarrassed voice. Her hair was also black, but cut into a kind of bowl cut.

"Didn't Itachi say that was his little brother?" Ty Lee spoke, pointing to the smaller boy out of Zuko and his friend. "He's pretty cute too."

"He is an Uchiha after all." Azula returned, surprisingly agreeing with Ty Lee's statement. "Come on girls, we're gonna do some investigating and find out who exactly Sasuke is."

* * *

><p>"I can hardly believe it has been over a full year since Iroh's siege on Ba Sing Se began, and only now have they actually managed to reach the outer wall of the Earth Kingdom Capital." Fire Lord Azulon spoke with anger or annoyance at the lateness of his eldest son's conquest against the Earth Kingdom, it even sounded to Itachi as if the Fire Lord was speaking with pride.<p>

"The Earth Kingdom has put up very strong defences, Fire Lord Azulon. Including newer walls even beyond the Outer Wall. It is no surprise that it has taken so long. But Crown Prince Iroh is an incredible man. He will not fail in this siege of Ba Sing Se." Itachi replied honestly, he revered the Dragon of the West, he was unlike any other Firebender. Itachi had even copied his style of Firebending from Iroh, his fire didn't seem to come from hate, or or anger, or rage. But from a serene calmness instead, like the essence of life itself.

Azulon nodded in return. "Yes, their defences were well prepared for this attack, too prepared. I can only think that there is a traitor in our midst..." Azulon spoke specutively, before a small, yet proud smile grew on his face. "But of course, my heir Iroh, and his heir, my favoured grandchild Lu Ten are both powerful men, so powerful that they had both rejected the tradition of the generations. Rejecting the protection of the Uchiha family, the family that fans the flames of this nation. Your father Fugaku, was supposed to have protected Iroh, and even you were supposed to protect Lu Ten, but both of them relieved you of your duties to them, claiming they no longer needed it." Azulon definitely spoke with pride about his eldest son and eldest grandchild. A smile even formed on his face, before it turned into a disappointed scowl. "But my other son, Ozai, loves the attention and idea of more servants for his disposal. Whilst Iroh fights for the glory of the Fire Nation, Ozai basks in it, not even attempting to go to war alongside his brother." Azulon spoke with irritation mixed into disappointment, before sighing deeply. "However, he is not to blame, it is the destiny of the younger sibling to forever remain in the shadow of the older..."

"That is not true, my lord." Itachi replied quite quickly, but remained in a calm persona. "At least, not for every younger sibling. Even you, my lord, were the second son of Fire Lord Sozin, until you defeated your older brother in the legendary Phoenix Agni Kai, where a new leader would be born from the ashes of the duel after Fire Lord Sozin passed. And it will not be the same for Sasuke, he will in time come to surpass me in every way." Itachi finished with a smile on his face.

"Then he has an incredibly high mountain to climb!" The Fire Lord laughed loudly in reply to Itachi's comment. "If Sasuke is able to surpass you, such an incredibly strong Firebender, a brilliant tactician and strategist, and someone I have even come to view as a grandson, then he will prove himself to be the greatest asset ever to the Fire Nation!"

Itachi's face went to one of utter surprise and shock. "Y-You view me as a grandson?"

The Fire Lord only nodded in return. "Yes. In fact, if my children, or all of my three grandchildren proved themselves inadequate to rule our nation. I would quite happily leave the prosperity of the Fire Nation in your hands." Azulon spoke again with a small smile on his face. "But onto more important matters, and the reason I called for you. I have constructed a new war plan..."

* * *

><p>Sasuke chased after Zuko in the gardens, now being it in their game again. Following every twist and turn the young prince made until he came to a halt. Sasuke himself stopped at the presence of four other people, who were making their way towards them.<p>

One was a grown woman, dressed in elegant crimson robes. It was Princess Ursa, Zuko's mother. The other three were small girls. Two with black hair and one with brown hair. "Who are they?" Sasuke asked inquisitively to his new friend.

"Trouble." Zuko muttered back in annoyance. "My sister, Azula, and her two friends, Mai and Ty Lee."

"See, mother, Zuko has a new friend. Wouldn't it be a good idea if we all played together, so we could all become the best of friends?" The one now identified as Zuko's sister Azula spoke sweetly to the one, batting her large, golden eyes up at the woman.

"It would be a wonderful idea." Ursa smiled back down at the girl. "Zuko, you should play with your sister and her friends, your new friend can play as well. I suggest hide and seek, that's a game you all can enjoy." She spoke sweetly before walking away, sitting by the pond where baby Turtle-ducks frolicked in the water.

"So, we're playing hide and seek." Azula's tone suddenly changed to an authoritative one. "Zu-zu, as the oldest here, it's only fair that you should count first."

Zuko grumbled in annoyance, looking over to his mother, who was smiling at the small animals in the pond. She wouldn't be happy if he refused to play games with Azula, she was always encouraging them to get along better. "Fine." He grumbled out, before turning around, beginning to count loudly, signalling the others to go and hide.

Sasuke split from the group, ducking behind a small bush out of Zuko's gaze. He carefully watched the other boy count, listening to see what number he was up to.

"Hey." A voice whispered quietly, and a hand gently tapped him on the shoulder. Sasuke nearly leapt out of his skin with the act. He turned to see Azula crouching next to him. "What's your name?" She asked quietly, with a sweet, yet unnervingly manipulative smile on her face.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke replied bluntly in a whisper, he didn't want to get caught because Azula decided to have a conversation with him in the middle of the game.

"Well, Sasuke Uchiha. You should be happy that a Princess has taken such a big interest in you." She smiled wider, before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek, Sasuke wasn't ready for the action, so he went into surprise.

At that moment, Azula pushed him from behind the bush, just at the same time Zuko finished counting, he immediately turned and caught Sasuke in his sight. "You know Sasuke, the aim of this game is to hide." Zuko spoke sarcastically.

Sasuke glowered towards the girl, who put her index finger to her mouth, telling him to keep quiet. A red blush covered his face as he stared over at her.

Ursa, who watched the little scene happen, as it wasn't out of her sight, giggled quietly to herself. _'I wonder if there are a few sparks between Azula and Zuko's new friend?..."_

* * *

><p>Itachi walked back to Azulon's throne room after having a message delivered from Azulon to Iroh on the front lines. His meeting was over with the Fire Lord, and it was time to presume the rest of his duties.<p>

"Fugaku, Mikoto, I am glad you have arrived so quickly. There is an urgent matter I wish to discuss. It involves your second son, Sasuke." Itachi heard the Fire Lord say from beyond the curtain.

_'Sasuke?...'_ Itachi asked himself, what would the Fire Lord want with Sasuke, against every moral in his body, Itachi snuck through the curtains, ducking behind them to move closer to the conversation between his father, who he was also surprised to see in the palace, and the Fire Lord.

"Your first born, Itachi," Itachi heard the Fire Lord speak more clearly now. "He cares very much for his younger brother. Sasuke's welfare, and his relationship with Itachi are Itachi's highest priority. Nothing exceeds their importance to him."

"I'm afraid I don't follow, my lord. What is the problem?" He heard his father reply back, confusion set in the tone of his voice.

"Itachi's loyalties lie with Sasuke above all else. And I would not have it so." Azulon's voice darkened now. "Itachi is the greatest Firebender I have ever seen, he is even stronger than myself, perhaps stronger than my father, Fire Lord Sozin, and at such a young age as well. His intelligence, and strategy is also incredible, I have never seen another like him. But above all else it is his loyalty I admire, he performs every task without hesitation or complaint. And I would not see his loyalties to me divided. So I ask for the impossible, but we must dispose of Sasuke in order to let Itachi truly thrive in the Fire Nation, this task, if completed, will yield great rewards for you and your family, Fugaku."

Itachi's eyes went wide at the Fire Lord's suggestion, it infuriated his father and mother as well from what he could hear. "Are you suggesting that I kill my own son!" His father screamed out in return to the Fire Lord's proposal. "The Uchiha family already stand as the right hand of the Fire Lord. What could you possibly offer me that would make me agree to such a ludicrous notion!"

"As I mentioned, Itachi is something I have never seen before. I have even become to look at him as my own Grandson." Azulon admitted the same the he said to Itachi earlier. "The documents are being drawn up. Ozai is a failure, his children are failures. If Iroh and Lu Ten were to fall in battle at Ba Sing Se, I would like to leave the Fire Nation in more capable hands. Thus in the event of my death, Iroh's death, and Lu Ten's death. I have decreed that Itachi will succeed me as Fire Lord to the Fire Nation."

Itachi's eyes went wide with the utter most shock as he listened into the conversation, should Azulon, Iroh and Lu Ten die. _He_ was to be the next Fire Lord, and not Azulon's own blood.

"And all you must do to ensure this future for Itachi and your family... Is agree to dispose of young Sasuke..."

The heavy silence kicked in, and Itachi's eyes narrowed into utter rage at the idea of his parents actually contemplating the idea.

"Very well."

The rage left his body, he felt nothing after the sound of his parents uttering those two words. This was it, he felt nothing for his parents, the Fire Lord, this entire Nation.

* * *

><p>Sasuke had returned home later than he expected, after playing with his new friends all day, then waiting for Itachi to walk home with, but Itachi didn't appear to show up, he only assumed that Itachi was working later and returned home by himself.<p>

As he walked through the door he found only the faint sounds of crashing and thrashing. He followed them, and they led him directly to Itachi's room.

He carefully slid open the door to peek through. What he saw surprised him. Itachi was usually a calm, organised person, but this person before him was someone entirely different.

In a blind fury Itachi was destroying his room, throwing his possessions across the room, shattering the most valuable possessions and items without regret. He turned to the large Fire Nation flag, and Sasuke heard him growl in fury.

"There is no redemption for the Nation!" Itachi shouted as he grabbed the flag, tearing it down from the wall. "There is no redemption for the barbaric people!"

Sasuke took steps away from the door, this side of his brother horrified him. His rantings scared him, Sasuke ran away, to the safety of his own room, quickly he curled up into a ball, cupping his hands over his ears. Silently praying that Itachi would calm down and return to the brother that he loved.

* * *

><p>Sasuke wallowed in the privacy of his room, the only room he felt was unstained by the blood spilt last night. Last night, after he had seen Itachi trashing his own room, he began an atrocious quest, he murdered his entire family, sparing only Sasuke, before turning himself into the Fire Lord directly. He couldn't believe his ears when he heard of his older brother's deeds last night. Itachi had for some unknown reason turned on his entire family save Sasuke, slaughtering them all before arriving at the Fire Nation Palace to personally hand himself into the Fire Lord. The Fire Lord's response was a swift execution performed by himself, and thus, Sasuke was the last Uchiha. And what made his feeling even worse was the fact that he had slept peacefully throughout the entire night it took place, under the very same roof.<p>

He had not left his room in days. He did not sleep. He did not crave food or water. He couldn't face what was beyond that door. He sat silent on his bed, curled into a ball.

But the sound of flapping wings broke that silence, his eyes slowly moved towards his window, where the sound resonated from.

It was a messenger bird, not the usual Hawk used to deliver messages across the Fire Nation Empire. Sasuke's eyes went wide as he noted the species of the messenger bird. It was a Crow, the scroll container strapped to it's black feathered back. And only one person in the entire Fire Nation used this rare bird to deliver their messages.

"Itachi's messenger bird..." He looked at the bird as he whispered those words faintly. The bird rustled it's back, opening the scroll container, before rustling more, allowing the paper to slowly slide out. Once the parchment landed next to Sasuke, the bird took flight again. Free from it's duties with the death of it's master.

Sasuke looked at the paper for minutes, before his hand reached for it, unravelling the letter. It was one final letter from Itachi, he recognised the personal seal Itachi had made secretly for him. It was for his eyes only, suddenly he became more interested in the letter.

_'Dear Sasuke,_

_The fact that you are reading this indicates that I am no longer a part of your life, and you are safe. Please forgive me for the deeds I have performed, but they were not without reason._

_Your life far supersedes anything else in my life, Sasuke. Even my own, I would gladly lay down my life in order to protect yours. And that was what I have done. That tyrant, Fire Lord Azulon, he had ordered Mother and Father to kill you so my loyalties wouldn't be divided between him and yourself. He promised that should Crown Prince Iroh, Prince Lu Ten, Prince Ozai, Prince Zuko and Princess Azula prove themselves inadequate or shall perish in battle. That I am to succeed him as Fire Lord. And Mother and Father, in their lust for power, agreed...'_

Tears began streaming from his face at this revelation, his own parents had planned to kill him in order to elevate their family on a very off chance that five of the most protected people in the world should die. He struggled to continue reading, but Itachi had written so much more.

_'I would not let this happen. I killed our family to protect you, and I am going to Fire Lord Azulon and bargain your life in exchange for mine. He knows how I felt, that you would surpass me in every way. Fire Lord Azulon will not challenge me, who he believes is the greatest Firebender in the world. However, Fire Lord Azulon will not accept betrayal, he executed his own greatest military General, Minato Namikaze for the very same reason. And I have betrayed him, and this nation._

_It was I who informed the Earth Kingdom Capital about the Dragon of the West's planned siege, I instructed them on creating the appropriate defences. It was even I who gave General Minato the forewarning that the Fire Nation Army was coming after him. This war will not lead to peace, it will only lead to more war. When the children of the children of the Fire Lord begin squabbling over the world they own, they will split into opposing factions, and more war will begin, brother killing brother to seize power. This is not Peace, this is Tyranny. And I would see the Fire Nation's assault on the world come to an end._

_But that can not happen. I understand and willingly accept the consequences for my actions on this night. I only ask that you not remember me with this one gesture, but remember your loving older brother. And I would ask that you never forget yourself, Sasuke, and continue to live on without me. I might not be able to put an end to this war, it appears that my efforts were fruitless. But I believe you can, as I have always believed that you will surpass me in every way. And remember this Sasuke, a message from our ancestors Madara and Izuna Uchiha: 'When the world's light fades, not even a Phoenix can be reborn from it's ashes'. Discover it's meaning, and use that knowledge well._

_Your loving brother, Itachi.'_

His tears made the ink run on the paper, leaking down the page. "Itachi..." He sniffled out, he had done this for him, he gave his own life so he might live, completely unaware that that might not even happen. He was Itachi's legacy, what he had done for him. And this piece of paper, soaked by his tears, was the only thing he had left from Itachi, the only thing left that he could cling onto, the last piece of his older brother.

Sasuke screamed loudly, and fire followed his voice, hitting his roof. And as the flames flowed from his mouth, the red flames began to change. Turning into a deep black colour. As if the shadows of flames themselves. Black fire erupted all around his house, engulfing it in a black pyre.

* * *

><p>Azulon noticed the black flames engulf the Uchiha household, where Sasuke had been hiding since his family's demise. <em>'This is unheard of...'<em> He looked at the black fire in shock, never before had he had of Firebending changing colour other than superheated blue.

"Guards!" He called for the guards in the Palace, they hurried in quickly seconds after his call. "Bring me Sasuke Uchiha!"

* * *

><p>Sasuke was hurried into Azulon's throne room by the guards, who had quickly rescued him from the fires of his burned down house, smoke and soot still covering his body.<p>

"Sasuke..." The Fire Lord seemed to speak with a pleased tone to his voice. "Itachi was right about you... You are something unlike him, and you have the potential to far surpass him. But only if you swear your allegiance to me." The Fire Lord spoke almost earnestly.

"What happened to my brother?" Sasuke spoke in a whisper, his face still in utter shock after the recent events.

"He had turned himself in after his actions, and he was dealt with accordingly." The Fire Lord spoke with no remorse mixing in with his words.

The wide eyes of shock on Sasuke's face narrowed with rage, Itachi was gone, dealt with 'accordingly.' But he remembered the words in Itachi's letter, to live on without him. That couldn't happen if he challenged the Fire Lord here. Azulon would have no mercy against him.

He knew what he had to do. To follow in his brother's footsteps, to stop the Fire Nation and help restore balance to the world in anyway he could. Perhaps this was his destiny, to bring the Fire Nation down from the inside?

He fell to his knees before the fire lord, placing the palms of his hands and his forehead on the floor. "I swear my allegiance to you, Fire Lord Azulon, and to your family. I will serve to the best of my ability and beyond, I will learn from the mistakes my brother made, and ensure I never repeat them." He lied.

"Good." He didn't look back up, but he could tell by his tone that the Fire Lord was pleased. "You will stay here, in the palace. Where you will be trained in Firebending even further. Here you will become a Firebender even greater than your brother."

Sasuke's head didn't rise, if it did, Azulon might catch glimpse of the grin across Sasuke's face. Now he would begin. '_This is my role, Itachi...'_ He thought cunningly in his mind. _'To learn the secrets of the Fire Nation, by being directly at the heart of it...'_

* * *

><p>Sasuke stood in wonder at the legendary man in front of him, he was left with no other feeling than awe. This man, who had left his nation for 600 days, had done the impossible. He had broken through the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se before suddenly calling off his assault, and he and his men returned home.<p>

"Crown Prince Iroh." Sasuke bowed respectfully to the man, who stared back at the small boy quite confused.

"And who are you, young man?" Iroh asked in a calm, relaxed voice. Not something Sasuke would have expected after seeing the behaviour of Zuko, Azula, Azulon and Ozai.

"Sasuke Uchiha." Sasuke bowed once again.

"Uchiha? Oh yes, your Itachi's little brother. I remember him speaking of you fondly. It is a shame that such unfortunate events have taken place." Iroh spoke with obvious sadness in his voice. "If there is anything I can do to help, please do not hesitate to ask. The Uchiha have always been loyal to my family."

"There is something..." Sasuke admitted quietly, before dropping slowly to his knees, kneeling in the elegant golden floors of the palace hallway, his head touched the floor as he bowed to the legendary General. "Please train me in Firebending."

"Isn't that Ozai's duty?" Iroh looked towards the small boy, who couldn't be older than nine or ten, humbling himself in front of him, as if he had the maturity of a fully grown man. It now made him feel uncomfortable, he remembered how Lu Ten would bow to him, as if he was just any other member of the Fire Nation Army, and not his son.

"I would prefer the Dragon of the West as my teacher," Sasuke replied, his face never looking back up from the floor. "But more importantly, I would prefer someone that understands the pain I feel. The pain of losing the person closest to you."

_'This boy...'_ Iroh stared down at the small boy. He reminded him very much of his own young nephew Zuko, who felt lost in his family. But he also reminded him of Lu Ten, his mannerisms, how he spoke, it was almost identical. "Very well, young Sasuke. I will train you" He replied, smiling as the boy shot up in surprise, as if he expected his request to be flat out rejected. "I shall show you the true nature of what it is to be a Firebender."

* * *

><p>"See, I enjoy these walks through the town amongst all these commoners and peasants." Azula smiled to the boy next to her, as they strolled leisurely through the town around the Fire Lord's Palace.<p>

Sasuke's eyes darted to the left to look at her, his only acknowledgement that he had heard what she said. He had changed so much over the course of his tutelage under Iroh's instruction. Three years had flew by, he was by far stronger, and he had beaten the inner turmoil within him. He accepted and understood what Itachi had done all those years ago, and had accepted that he was gone. But his flames did not change back to the normal colour, they had remained black. He could only assume they were the black flames of vengeance, and they would only return to normal when this war had ended, when the Fire Lord had met his comeuppance, and he had finally freed his family from the servitude of the Royal Family.

But for now, his powers were recognised beyond comprehension. He had been named as Azula's personal bodyguard, by Fire Lord Ozai, forcing him to divert his attention from his friend, Zuko and towards Azula. Who had strangely been selected over Iroh by his father's request just before his death. However bodyguard might not be the correct term, perhaps 'boyfriend' fit a better description. Azula had claimed Sasuke as her boyfriend, and in order to avoid one of her tantrums, he agreed to it.

And that was how he ended up in this situation, upon Azula's request, they would walk through the streets of the town, so she could 'better understand her people', but all she did was belittle them loudly. She hadn't changed over the three years, even now they were both twelve, she was still just as cunning, rude and violent as ever, if not more.

As they walked through the crowded streets of the town, everyone stopped to stare at them as they walked passed. People would smile widely at the both of them, bowing their heads respectfully as they walked passed, people even offering Azula gifts for merely gracing them with her presence on this day.

And Azula clearly loved every second of it, she basked in the admiration of her people. "It's good to see that these citizens know their places." Azula spoke to him as she made him carry her many gifts. "They know how lucky they are to see me today, and want to return the favour." She said with an air of smug arrogance around her, before turning to one person in particular. An elderly woman, who looked weak, feeble and sick. "You there! What do you have to offer your princess?"

"N-Nothing, my princess..." The old woman replied quietly and shamefully, she had been utterly shocked when Azula picked her out of the crowd and hurled the question at her.

"Nothing! What do you mean nothing!" Azula responded with an insulted, infuriated tone to her voice. She took a step forward, and the woman recoiled in fear, dropping to her knees and begging for forgiveness.

"Please! I have nothing to give, my three sons have all gone off to war, they took care of me before they enlisted, but I haven't heard anything from them. Now I live in poverty as I am too sick to work myself. I'm sorry, my princess!" The old woman sobbed, cowering in fear on the floor in front of the twelve year old princess.

But she did not reach Azula's merciful side, it did not cool her temper even the smallest of amounts, still she advanced forwards, raising her arm as if ready to strike the woman.

Until a hand gripped around her wrist, holding her arm from behind her over her shoulder. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Sasuke glaring at her. "Stop." Was all he said, before he dropped her hand, moving around her and towards the old woman, she recoiled in fear again, until Sasuke extended his hand out to her, offering to aid her in getting up. She agreed, taking his hand as he gently pulled her to her feet before he turned back to Azula. "You should show these people more respect, Azula." He reprimanded her. "You need these people just as much, if not more than they need you. Because without followers, who would you rule?"

Her face seemed to twist even further into anger as Sasuke spoke in front of all these people as well, Sasuke on the other hand stood calm and collected, he now turned fully to Azula, clenching his fists. "I know that face, Azula. Do you really want to challenge me here? You know what the outcome would be." Black sparks of fire flickered from his fist, something which Azula noticed.

She continued to glare with rage at him, before she sighed deeply, her face cooling considerably. "Whatever, I'm returning back to the palace." She nonchalantly waved her hand and shrugged her shoulders as she turned towards the direction of the palace. "Father's war meeting should be over by now. I can't believe Zuko was allowed to enter it and I wasn't!"

* * *

><p><em>'I had known the treachery and barbarism of the Fire Nation for the longest of times, but I had never imagined it would go this far...'<em> Sasuke's mind raced as he walked through the hallways of the Fire Nation Palace, being called by Fire Lord Ozai for something important. His thoughts were on the Agni Kai a few weeks ago, between Prince Zuko, and his father, Fire Lord Ozai, for something such as speaking against a general's plan to sacrifice young recruits. _'This is the tyranny of the Fire Lord, his barbarism. It seemed so easy for him to seriously injury his first born son and heir to his throne, it looked like he was almost relishing in it...'_

_'Itachi... you were right...' _Sasuke's mind went into a deeper thought, no longer watch where he walked._ 'The Fire Nation must be stopped... but what can I do to aid in stopping it?... If I leave I will be followed, but that is something I have come to expect. But my standing in the Fire Nation; Azula's personal bodyguard stops me from leaving the Palace the majority of the time, I need a reason to leave the Fire Nation first...'_

Guards bowed to him as he neared the Fire Lord's throne room, he quickly walked through it's curtain, revealing the large room, at the end was the Fire Lord, sat behind a wall of flame, the fires obscuring his features from view. Sasuke walked close to the fires before dropping onto one knee, kneeling before the Fire Lord. "Fire Lord Ozai, you summoned me?"

"Yes, I did..." Ozai's sinister voice hissed in return. "Azula has grown strong, as of now she no longer needs your protection. So effective immediately, I am relieving you of your duties." Ozai completed, shock went onto Sasuke's face, however before he could speak the Fire Lord began talking again. "As you know, her brother, Zuko, was exiled a few weeks ago, cursed to hunt the Avatar that disappeared nearly one hundred years ago..."

"But he is an embarrassment to the Fire Nation, and should not be allowed to wander the world so freely." The Fire Lord added after a small moments pause. "Therefore, your new mission is this, Sasuke: Follow Zuko, track his movements... And should he prove himself too much of an embarrassment, or if he should prove himself inadequate on the quest I have gave him, your mission is to kill him." Sasuke had to school the look of horror upon his face after being delegated such a task. Yet Ozai had not finished. "You are Sasuke Uchiha, The Black Pyre. Already you have proven yourself to be one of the most powerful Firebenders in the world. Only myself, my brother and you are capable of the generation of Lightning, you name is known well across the world. Only you can complete this task without interference or interruption."

A bemused smirk appeared on Sasuke's face, this was it. The very opportunity her had been thinking of moments before he walked into the throne room was right in front of him. All he needed to do was say one small, little sentence. "I accept, Fire Lord..."

* * *

><p>Azula strolled into her room with a large, happy smile on her face. She had been quite content with the entirety of this day. Sasuke had an important meeting with her father, and she made a boy six years older than her cry like a little girl. Yes, today was a good day for the Fire Princess.<p>

She freed her hair from the bun it was placed in, allowing the long strands of dark hair to fall down her back. She walked over to her table with a mirror, to check herself before she prepared for dinner with her family.

And that was when she noticed it. A scroll of paper was placed on her table, kept together by a piece of string tied around it. She looked at the parchment curiously, before picking it up, unsealing it to read the contents.

_'Azula,_

_This is goodbye._

_Since Itachi died, I had lost all hope in the Fire Nation. The nation is so willing to sacrifice their own blood in order to push themselves higher. There is nothing left for me here, no one is left for me to care for._

_Your father, the 'Fire Lord', has ordered me to follow Zuko, to kill his only son and heir. Inform him that it is a ridiculous notion for him to believe my loyalties to him stand stronger compared to my loyalties to Zuko. Inform him, that I will not complete the task he has set me._

_You will never see me again,_

_Sasuke.'_

The paper crumpled in her grip, until her hands moved apart, tearing the parchment in two. The smile had faded from the Fire Princess' face, leaving a face of hurt and distress. Small tears streamed down her face from the corners of her eyes. Her head fell slowly, face being covered by the dark locks of hair.

She choked back her own sobs, before flicking her hair back up. Her face had hardened into steel once again, a confident smirk present on her face. The emotional wreck disappearing completely. "Oh well, Sasuke was such a bore anyway..." Azula laughed to herself as she looked towards the torn piece of paper, a large sadistic grin growing on her face. "So Sasuke has decided to follow his brother's footsteps after all and betray the Fire Nation... Father will like to hear about this..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey hey! DGS here, wow, this chapter took a lot to write, but I've been focusing on Demon Lacrima recently and I haven't really being looking at this or The Namikage, but I'm back with a passion and ready to type. Hopefully if things work out well I will have a new Chapter of The Namikage out shortly, but I've been working on two news works as well; A NarutoXOne Piece crossover and a NarutoXPokemon crossover. Should be fun. :)

Anyways, how'd you like the new chapter? I can understand if you found it hard to follow, but it was quite hard to incorporate canon Sasuke and Itachi's history into the Avatar world, I hope I've done alright with it. Leave a review to comment or query I dont mind answering your questions. But that's all I can really think of for this A/N, so I'm gonna leave it there.

**_To Be Continued in Chapter 3: Sifu Gaara_**

D.G.S


	4. Sifu Gaara

**The Four Nations**

Book 2: Earth

Chapter 3: Sifu Gaara

by DeathGodSlayer

* * *

><p>Aang played a single note on a small flute, and on cue, four brown fur groundhogs came up and matched the tone with yelps, popping out of the ground before retreating back down. "I've always wanted to see Singing Groundhogs, so this is my mini-vacation." Aang explained, laughing at the small animals. "And it could come at a better time; Appa's more tired from flying than usual." He said before looking at the large white beast, sprawled out on the floor, panting heavily.<p>

"That is my fault." Gaara spoke in his usual tone. "My extra weight and the weight of my gourd is too much weight for your bison. I apologise for tiring your animal out."

"It's alright. Appa's strong, he'll be ready to fly soon." Aang grinned, acknowledging the red haired boy's apology. "So how do we get to Ba Sing Se?"

"From here we go forwards into the desert before turning North, being directly at the Serpent's Pass passage and ferries that travel to Ba Sing Se." Gaara explained in return.

"Sounds good. You've got it all planned out." Sokka returned towards Gaara, who's eyes only darted to him momentarily.

"There is another that I should warn you about." Gaara spoke, grasping everyone's attention. "The Si Wong Desert itself. The heat is unbearable to most, it is filled with creatures, both docile and violent. There is also Sandbenders, merciless Earthbenders that have adapted their bending to suit their new environment."

"Well we have a Waterbender, and a powerful Earthbender, and the Avatar. Plus we'll be flying most of the time on Appa." Sokka replied to what the red haired boy spoke.

"But in the event that we stop and rest, we need to be prepared. Sandbending is completely different to Earthbending, it possesses the fluidity of Waterbending, the evasiveness of Airbending, yet retains the brute force of Earthbending. And Sandbenders will not show hesitation or mercy against you, even if you travel with the Avatar. If anything, they will probably target you for the bounty the Fire Lord placed on the Avatar's head."

Aang, Katara and Sokka gulped loudly in fear as Gaara said that Sandbenders will target them. "You told me that your gourd is filled with Sand. So are you a Sandbender?" Toph asked calmly, unfazed as the others were.

"I am." Gaara responded bluntly to the others surprise. "Si Wong Desert was once called my home. I have mastered the art of Sandbending. And I would like to give us the advantage over Sandbenders by teaching the Avatar Sandbending." Gaara continued, looking directly at the bald boy. "I do not have the time to make a Master Sandbender out of you, Avatar. But I can inform you of the basics of it, and with your knowledge of Waterbending, and previous tutelage in Earthbending. You should grasp it quickly."

"Sounds great!" Aang spoke cheerily, pleased he would be learning another form of bending, albeit not one of the four main elements."

"Toph, perhaps you should learn Sandbending as well?" Katara asked the smaller girl amongst the group.

Toph only scoffed loudly. "Nah, I'll stick to sturdy solid Earth rather than flimsy Sand." She boasted loudly in defiance.

"Very well, we will continue to the town I mentioned earlier; Misty Palms Oasis to rest and mentally prepare for the journey through Si Wong, from there we can begin Aang's Sandbending training in a better environment." Gaara spoke quickly.

"The Misty Palms Oasis is meant to be very refreshing." Katara spoke with a happy tone. "And it's famous Ice Spring is one of the natural wonders of the world. It's my turn for the mini-vacation, isn't it? I want to see the Ice Spring."

"I'm still worried about Appa though," Aang spoke with sympathy towards his large animal guide. "If he has had trouble carrying us already, it's only going to get worse in the desert heat."

"No." Gaara responded bluntly. "I travelled on your bison due to the distance between Sìguó and Si Wong, I can take care of my own transport from here."

On cue, the cork in Gaara's gourd popped out flying in the air before landing in Gaara's hand. Sand poured out of the gourd, pooling onto the floor in front of him. It began to form a small platform, large enough for one person to stand on. It's size proved correct, as Gaara then stood on it. Without the red haired boy moving an inch, the platform of sand began to rise, a ball of sand forming underneath it. "Shall we go."

"YOU'RE FLYING!" Sokka screeched in shock. "YOU'RE AN EARTHBENDER! AND YOU'RE FLYING!"

"Yes, the ball of sand provides motion for the platform, by using my Sandbending to roll the ball I can move across large distances like this, although it takes a lot of energy to perform." Gaara explained quickly.

"It's like my Air Scooter, but adapted to suit Earthbending." Aang looked up in wonder. "But we can't afford to waste any more time, let's go." He spoke jumping high into the air to land on Appa's head.

* * *

><p>Aang stood at the outskirts of the oasis with Gaara; he whipped up a stream of sand and launched it with speed towards one of the pillars of compressed sand Gaara had created. The stream of sand struck the pillar with force, but only enough to make it wobble slightly.<p>

"Use your previous knowledge of Waterbending, but don't follow its ideals completely. Aim to shred skin from bone with each attack, use the brute power of Earthbending." Gaara spoke monotonously, he demonstrated himself, whipping up a thicker stream of sand and launching it at a different sand pillar, all within a split second. The pillar didn't just topple, it snapped in half with the sheer power of the attack.

"But I've lived my life following the peaceful Airbending ideals. The offensive style of Earthbending was hard enough to learn, but Sandbending seems so much more ferocious…" Aang spoke solemnly; to think about shredding skin from bone with each attack… it was something he never wanted to think about in the first place.

"You will learn Avatar, that those ideals are extinct." Gaara spoke bluntly, shocking the small Air Nomad. "Do not give up on your beliefs and ideals, but know when they will get you killed. Naruto has adapted his Airbending to this war filled environment. The Fire Nation will show you no mercy; can you afford to offer them the same privilege?"

"Sandbending is more ferocious than Earthbending." Gaara continued after a few seconds. "There are things that Sand can do which Earth cannot, that is why it is superior. But the idea behind Sandbending is vastly different. With Earthbending, your will must be as sturdy as the Earth itself. With Sand, your will must be open to change, to expand and adapt." Gaara finished, lifting up a ball of sand, he compressed it down into sandstone once again, all without moving a single muscle.

"That's just like the idea behind Airbending." Aang spoke enthusiastically.

"Then use that knowledge, and attack again. Sandbending is beyond the four basic elements, it is a combination of different ideals. This is what you will discover when you encounter new bending styles." Gaara returned quickly.

Aang nodded, before turning to the pillar once again. Taking a deep breath he lifted the sand and punched the air in front of him, the Sand followed powerfully and struck the pillar, causing it to pivot and wobble violently, but not enough to topple. It was progress, nonetheless.

* * *

><p>Sokka spoke alone with a man who had introduced himself as Professor Zei, the Head of the Anthropology Department at Ba Sing Se University. The two men were huddled around a map that the Professor had unravelled on the table, deep in conversation whilst gazing at it.<p>

Katara and Toph stood next to each other at the bar, with mango drinks in hand. Gaara and Aang were still away practising Aang's Sandbending. This left the two girls alone for their own discussions.

"Katara," Toph asked quietly, the tone surprising the young Waterbender. It was completely different to Toph's usual brash self. "What does Gaara actually look like?"

Katara's brow rose at the question. "I suppose that he is very good looking, and his face is always completely calm it's almost scary. It's like he doesn't feel anything. He has black rings round his eyes, so he mustn't sleep very well at night. And he has wavy, but spiked red hair." She answered honestly, describing the young male Sandbender.

"I see…" Toph answered even more quietly, Katara couldn't help but smile coyly as a faint red tint spread across the blind girl's cheeks. "Katara, h-how do you know…." She couldn't even finish the sentence, yet Katara believed she knew what she was going to ask. "How do you know when you like a boy or not?"

"It's hard to describe." Katara answered quickly, she was right about what Toph was going to ask. "People act in different ways when they come close to their crush. Some get shy, others get embarrassed easily. But their hearts races every time they see them."

"But I can't see a crush when I have one." Toph pointed out the very obvious almost sarcastically. "I can't see him, so I have to go by things I can feel and hear. His voice is always calm, it's reassuring, it's something about his voice." Toph smiled very weakly, the tint on her cheeks growing ever so slightly. "And his stance, which I can feel through my Seismic Sense, I can see that he is a lot like me. Strong. Confident. Unbending. Like a typical Earthbender. But he is also hiding something terrible deep down within him… I can't see that, but I can feel it..."

Both girls stood silently at that moment, before Katara received a very hard punch in the arm courtesy of the smaller black haired girl. "If you tell ANYONE about what I just said, I'll Earthbend you so bad you'll end up on the moon!"

* * *

><p>"You've improved quickly." Gaara spoke bluntly, watching Aang knock down the final sand pillar with incredible force. "It seems you've grasped the idea behind Earthbending and Sandbending now. It will be safer to travel through the desert now with two Sandbenders in the group."<p>

"Thank you… Sifu Gaara." Aang spoke happily, before bowing respectfully to the red haired Sandbender.

"You guys!" They both turned to see Sokka, Toph, Katara and an older man running towards them. "Apparently there is a library somewhere in the desert! It's got information on everything, even the Fire Nation!" Sokka spoke with enthusiasm, screaming his recent knowledge at the two of them.

"How did you find this out?" Aang asked with surprise.

"Professor Zei told me." Sokka spoke with a large grin, pointing towards the older man. "He's been looking for it for some time now. I figure with Appa with can search for it from above. Then when we find it we can use the library to find a weakness in the Fire Nation and bring them down finally!"

"But it could take days to find the library in the desert." Katara pointed out dimly, stating an obvious fact. This desert was massive, even on Appa it could take days to cross it entirely.

"I don't care!" Sokka replied angrily. "Aang, I believe it's my turn to pick a mini-vacation. And I want to spend mine AT THE LIBRARY!"

"Though I should warn you." The professor spoke formally. "The desert is near impossible to navigate, and there are many dangers in its sand. Ferocious, poisonous beast. Mind rotting fauna. Seedy Sandbenders. And perhaps the most frightening of all, apparently within the desert lies an ancient spirit; Shukaku, the Sand Spirit. For years it terrorized the Sandbender tribes, before turning to a deep slumber. We must make sure not to anger that spirit while looking for Wan Shi Tong's library."

Gaara looked over at the aged professor suspiciously. "Do not fear the Sand Spirit." Gaara replied calmly. "It will do us no harm."

"Okay then." Sokka answered enthusiastically. "We best start searching." He spoke before turning to the open desert, pointing his finger towards it. "TO THE LIBRARY!"

* * *

><p>Gaara gave the motion to land as they soared through the air over the waves of desert sand. Gaara lowering himself gently on the platform of levitating sand he had created, whilst Aang controlled Appa to gracefully land on the tiny particles. "What's going on? Why are we stopping?" Sokka asked quickly as soon as his feet hit the desert sand.<p>

"The desert freezes over night." Gaara answer was straightforward, his gaze moving towards the declining sun. "We should stop and rest now, while the sun is leaving, before continuing towards this library as the sun begins to rise in a few hours."

Gaara turned, stomping his foot gently in the sand, on cue, a massive igloo of sand was constructed, the opening large enough for Appa to easily walk through, the structure even larger on the inside. "You all get some rest, I will stand guard against threats throughout the night. The sand igloo will insulate the warmth and keep you warm for the night." Gaara continued, looking towards the group.

"Do you want us to take shifts on guard?" Aang asked the red haired boy as he led his bison into the igloo. "You could do with some sleep as well."

"I don't sleep." Gaara answered bluntly, before turning to face out at the open desert.

Katara and Toph walked side by side, Katara seeing Gaara alone nudged Toph carefully on the arm. "What?" Toph whispered back to the Water Tribe girl.

"Here's your chance, go talk to him." Katara answered in a similarly hushed whisper.

Toph's eyes went wide at Katara's statement, the girl halting completely in her tracks. Katara saw this and turned her towards the red haired boy, giving her another small push in his direction before entering the igloo after everyone else.

Toph stood silently, before moving slowly towards the Sandbender, eventually standing by his side. "So... how is it you know so much about the area?" Toph asked, wanting to hit herself for not finding something more interesting to talk about.

"Because these sands are what I once called my home." Gaara answered bluntly, staring heavy lidded out to the sands reaching the horizon.

"You lived out here?" Toph asked quite surprised.

"I spent years in this desert, in solitude. I had hoped to find peace in loneliness. It was only after I met Naruto did I realise the mistake in that idea." Gaara replied apathetically.

"Naruto was out here as well?" Toph asked, surprised to know that twinkle toes the second could survive this heat as well.

"Yes, he was crossing the desert after staying with the Hyuuga family in the Earth Kingdom. He was riding on Kurama when I encountered him. I viewed him as a threat and attacked, but I lost our battle. He could have left me in the desert. But Naruto saved me, from more than just death. He saved me from my pain, which was only increased by my loneliness." Gaara answered; even with remembering the story his monotone voice did not reveal a hint of emotion.

"It's getting late." Gaara suddenly spoke out before Toph could reply. "You should get some rest."

* * *

><p>"The library is completely buried…" Katara spoke as the group looked up at the massive pillar jutting out of the sand, matching it to the top of the library illustrated in a painting.<p>

"Well the good news is that the inside is completely intact." Toph spoke with her hand pressed into the sand.

"Then we best start excavating!" The professor spoke in an unusually cheerful tone, as he pulled out a small shovel and began digging into the sand.

Just then a small fox like creature appeared over a sand dune, a scroll in its mouth, wasting no time it ran at the tower before turning vertically upwards. Literally running up the side of the tower, reaching a window at the top and climbing through there.

"It went through that window up there!" Sokka pointed to the top of the tower. "But it's so high, how will we ever reach it." He asked discouraged, before he looked at Gaara and Aang. "Hey! You've been Sandbending all day, why don't the two of you move all the sand so we can get to the entrance!"

"Impossible." Gaara replied bluntly. "If that is just the pillar at the top, then the library would go hundreds of metres down into the desert. And Sand is too loose to just dig a straight hole downwards." He furthered explained, before looking up to the window. "However…"

Gaara then stomped his foot on the ground, sand rose in front of him, compressing together to form his means of travel, however this one was larger, enough to fit five or six people on. "I can lift everyone up to the window."

Sokka cheered in victory as he clambered onto the platform, followed by the Professor, Aang and Katara. Only Toph stood motionless. "I ain't going in that death trap; I'd rather take my chances with the loose, fuzzy sand. Besides, libraries never really did anything for me anyway." She spoke, waving her hand in front of her eyes quickly at the end of her sentence.

"Gaara nodded, beginning to lift the group up on the platform. "Take care of Appa for me Toph!" Aang called down as the blind girl and his bison began to shrink as they ascended.

* * *

><p>"We're travelling with the Avatar, the bridge between our worlds! He'll vouch for us!" Sokka spoke with a large smile towards the owl spirit, Wan Shi Ton, pushing Aang towards the front of the group. They had been discovered by the spirit the moment they entered the library.<p>

"Sure, I'll vouch…" Aang chuckled weakly, before bowing to the ancient spirit. "I promise you. We will not abuse the knowledge in your library for cruel or offensive purposes."

"Very well." The owl spirit complied, taking the word of the Avatar regarding its biggest fear. That his knowledge would be used for war and tyranny. "But in order to browse my collection, you must first make a contribution of your own."

"I have this tome of my studies." Zei went first offering the book to the owl spirit.

"Fir edition. Very nice." Owl owl responded in a pleased tone, with a wave of it's wing taking the book.

"I have this authentic Waterbending scroll." Katara offered the Waterbending scroll she had received from master Pakku.

"Ooh, these Waterbending illustrations are very detailed." The owl with enthusiasm, taking the scroll.

"Oh!" Aang spoke, going next, taking out a Fire Nation wanted poster of himself.

"I suppose that will do." The owl spoke with less enthusiasm, taking the poster.

Sokka pulled out a small rope, quickly creating a butterfly shaped knot. "Tada! It's a special knot!"

"The owl spirit looked very unimpressed. "You're not very bright, are you?" It answered, taking the knot nonetheless, before turning to the red haired boy. "And what do you offer?"

"I have nothing to offer." Gaara answered in a monotonous voice, staring back at the ancient spirit.

"Do you believe you can lie to me, he who knows ten thousand things?" The owl spoke with slight anger. Perhaps it is time I began taking live exhibitions as well."

"What do you mean?" Katara asked for the group, they all began looking between the spirit and the red haired Sandbender, who were fixated upon one another.

"I know who you are. And I know what you are." Wan Shi Tong fixated even closer onto Gaara. "You are the Sand Spirit, Shukaku…"

The group gasped collectively, looking at Gaara with wonder and awe, Gaara facial expression broke slightly, his brow furrowing towards the ancient, all-knowing spirit. "Then I offer myself to your library, as a legend in the world. To become your first live exhibit."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey There! DGS here! So I finally pulled an update out of my ass! Although it is a little shorter than usual for this fic. But it's my first update for a while so I'm a little rusty, and although I liked the plot for this chapter, I don't like my writing style for it, it seems short and rushed. But review and let me know how you feel.

That being said I have something to ask. Okay, so LoK showed interracial couples with children bending different elements e.g. Mako and Bolin, Kya and Tenzin. So my idea is that if a child had two different bending parents, and the genetics were correct, and in extremely rare occerences, would that child be able to bend two elements? even three? It says that ONLY the Avatar can bend all four. But what if through enough training, and understanding of the element, can a bender learn a second bending close to their heritage and personality style, such as if Uncle Iroh managed to Learn Waterbending. So that would relate to element releases in Naruto universe, where one is normal but exceptional people can learn two and more, but only certain people, Rinnegan users can master all five? Let me know in a PM or review how you feel about that, I've considered it for my story and may use it nonetheless, however if the idea isn't received well I may scrap it, it's not that important.

Anyway that's all, I'm not sure when the next update for this is, because I cba writing canon out for when they are in the library, but I may skip over to Naruto in the next chapter following Sasuke, and return to the ending of the library episode. I have to update Demon Lacrima and Kiiroi Senkou soon anyway. So be patient please.

_D.G.S_


	5. Sacrifice For The Good Of The World

**The Four Nations**

Book 2: Earth

Chapter 4: Sacrifice For The Good Of The World

by DeathGodSlayer

* * *

><p>"Damn, looks like we missed our ship." Suigetsu gritted his teeth as he watched the ship sail away in the distance. It was very obvious it was Azula's ship, even by Fire Nation standards, this ship had elegant, royal flags adorning it. Not to mention the tracks from Azula's machine leading right to this spot.<p>

He and Naruto stood at the edge of the beach watching the ship grow smaller and smaller along the horizon. "Do you suggest we start swimming?" Naruto smirked cheekily in response to the white haired boy's comment.

"Nah, I've got a plan." Suigetsu grinned in return, performing a quick move and creating a platform of frozen seawater floating on the surface. "It won't be able to hold Kyuubi as well though." He said as he looked at the platform.

"That's okay, Kyuubi would draw too much attention anyways, we need secrecy in order to get on that ship." Naruto returned, before looking up at his Nine-Tailed Fox, it brought its head down over Naruto's shoulder gently, and Naruto responded with a warm embrace around its neck. "Travel around for a while, Kyuubi. Go and explore. We'll find each other again, we're connected after all." He said lovingly.

The beast seemed to understand every word, it quickly took off in another direction, heading away into the forest on its own. "He'll be okay, after all, who would want to mess with something like him." Suigetsu spoke cheerfully, seeing Naruto watch the animal leave with a saddened expression.

"I know he will…" Naruto answered, before hopping in the ice platform, Suigetsu followed suit. "Let's go."

Suigetsu created a bubble of air around them by wrapping water around their makeshift, icy craft. As they moved out into the sea it began descending until it was completely submerged.

Naruto had left one hand outside of the barrier of water, from the outside he spun his hand, swirling air seemingly underwater before blasting it outwards, propelling them forwards at a great speed, he continued doing this, keeping up the impressive speed.

'_We're coming, Sasuke…'_

* * *

><p>Even whilst in an elegant room aboard the moving vessel, Sasuke stood chained to a wall. His arms lifted uncomfortably wide and pinned against the steel.<p>

He had never been alone once during the journey, Azula had personal guarded him throughout, it seemed she was keen to keep a very close eye on him.

"My Father cannot wait to see you, it seems he has a lot to talk about with you, Sasuke." She broke the silence with confidence and cockiness in her voice. "It's probably to do with this arranged marriage he has been planning."

She smirked slyly when Sasuke's head rose to stare at her in shock. "Yes, even now, the Fire Lord holds you and your family in high regard. There were no greater Firebenders than the Uchiha. My father wishes to finally see a union between the Royal Family and the Uchiha Family through marriage. From that union, the greatest Firebenders to ever live will be born, the power of those two families coming together, and to be a part of his family. The Fire Nation will become even more powerful!"

"That will never happen." Sasuke replied bluntly, watching how his smirk unnerved Azula. "Because you and I both know I will never make it back to the Fire Nation." His smirk grew larger with confidence.

"You have two options Azula: You know I am stronger than you, and we both know these chains won't hold me forever, I will escape and you will return empty handed. You're only other alternative is to end my life now, by doing that, you'd prove yourself to the Fire Nation as a hero, eliminating a traitor who holds inside information on the Fire Nation, removing the thought from the peoples' minds that you are, in fact, a pompous, arrogant, unfit and undeserving princess-"

Her hand came across his fast quickly, slapping him with a painful strike and cutting off his words. It was immediately followed by a forceful kiss, Azula pressing her lips tightly against his, Sasuke did not reciprocate the touch, only staring in shock at what was occurring.

"Oh how I've missed you, Sasuke." She whispered quietly in his ear, hugging his still armoured body and resting her head on his shoulder. "And I know you have missed me too, who wouldn't?"

"Come back with me, Sasuke." She continued speaking before he had a chance to comment. "Restore your rightful place by my side, become MY Fire Lord with me. With you by my side, we can shape the world as we see fit together. Not even my Father could stop us."

Sasuke's eyes widened at her proposal, she still wanted him, and he could be the Fire Lord, and from what Azula had minimally implied, overthrow Ozai. "Please consider it." She said, in a quiet, almost begging tone.

Sasuke's eyes turned to those of deep contemplation; it would be a lie to say he didn't consider it, the things he could achieve if he agreed. '_Me, as Fire Lord…_'

* * *

><p>Gaara wandered around the library alone, the group had split up to find out information on the Fire Nation, he himself stood in an aisle of the library staring at a book.<p>

He had found one to be rather interesting, written by an ancient Guru_. 'Spirit Transformations. Sometimes, when a person has unquestionable will, they will transcend death and continue existing as a spirit, some retaining their human form, others transforming into a new creature. I cannot relay how many times this has happened, because I simply do not know myself. Inner peace, unquestionable will, there are many factors that intertwine with perfect harmony with the spirit world.'_

He snapped the book shut, surprised that some can continue existing forever as a spirit. He looked up, noticing another book on the shelves. '_Naruto might like to read this._' He thought about the blond as he pulled the book out. 'Biology of Nine-Tailed Foxes.'; the book was called.

He chose a page at random, landing on a page about their breeding patterns. 'Nine-Tail Foxes form an unbreakable connection with their master. However, there will come a time when the Nine-Tail Fox must leave, to find a mate, no matter how long it takes. If male, the Nine-Tailed Fox will return to his master childless, they will not stay for the pregnancy of their mate, nor to raise the offspring. The female will raise the offspring alone until it has matured to a certain age, Nine-Tailed Foxes are lonesome by nature, even connections of mother and child will be severed very early one, the pregnancy does not last long, and the Nine-Tailed Fox offspring reaches a state of independence three weeks after birth. From then, the offspring will abandon its mother in search of its father, from who it will learn more, when that is finished the offspring will leave to find its own master. Despite being lonesome, Nine-Tailed Foxes seem to crave companionship, in not so uncommon occurrences; the offspring of the Nine-Tailed Fox will find its master in the offspring of its father's master.'

'_How interesting. Kyuubi hasn't left yet to find a mate, so many he will soon._' Gaara thought of Naruto's large pet, ever since he had met Naruto, Kyuubi had been by his side.

He placed the book back down on the shelf he had collected it from. He then noticed a scroll next to it, drawing it out, Gaara's eyes widened in utter shock as he read what had been written on the scroll.

'_Incredible! To think an Earthbending technique of this power existed!'_ He read over the scroll detailing unnatural Earthbending skills. _'And it is a power that is not exclusive to the Avatar!'_

"Hey Gaara." His head snapped out of a trance, seeing Aang waiting at the end of the aisle he was stood in. 'Sokka's found something interesting and this massive calendar room thing. Come check it out!" He said cheerfully as he ran back away.

Gaara looked back at the scroll, making sure the Owl spirit wasn't around before sliding it into his clothing before walking in the direction Aang had sped off in.

* * *

><p>They had arrived at the ship quickly, and Suigetsu had created small ice blocks along the side of the ship, allowing them to easily scale the side of the monstrously large vessel. There was one guard near them at the top, quietly, Suigetsu pulled him over the edge and let him drop into the sea below. Both boys hopped onto the deck of the ship, immediately taking cover behind an obstruction to keep them out of other guards' views.<p>

"What now?" Suigetsu asked quietly to the blond, carefully peeking around the side pinpointing where all the guards where along the deck.

"We should split up, Sasuke will be in the brig of the ship, we need to locate that first." The blond answered, similarly poking his head around the side, looking for entrances into the lower parts of the ship, and which ones will be the most unnoticeable when they enter it.

"But this ship is getting further and further out to sea. What if Sasuke is injured? It would sound like something Azula would do, especially to him. The further we get out to sea, the longer it would take to get Sasuke to medication." Suigetsu responded quickly.

Naruto thought about this for a moment, Suigetsu had a good point. "Alright then, you find a way to stop the ship. I'll find Sasuke."

Suigetsu grinned wildly, pulling the enormous sword from his back. "I can do that!" Before he looked round to the guards once more. "I'll deal with these first, move when the coast is clear."

Naruto smirked once again. "Remember to be quiet though." He spoke back to the violet eyed boy, he wasn't worried about Suigetsu being quiet, but his opponents.

"I can't promise that." Suigetsu laughed quickly before he took off away from the blonde, slyly creeping up to a guard with his back turned, using the hole in the sword to grab him round the neck before throwing him overboard.

* * *

><p>Suigetsu quietly crawled along a steel grating in the bowels of the ship, workers were everywhere working on the engines, keeping them filled with coal and the fires alive.<p>

The white haired boy exhaled deeply, before balls of water were pulled out of his body, floating around them, he carefully moved all of them to slowly drop over the head of every guard, encasing the heads in a bubble of water. Some fought to escape the watery casing, but had no chance to break it. After a few moments they began collapsing, and once they all had Suigetsu released the water, allowing them to breathe once again.

He hopped down onto the floor, looking around the bowels and engine of the ship. '_Now how do I stop this ship?..._' He wondered as he looked for something.

He then noticed the pipes leading to a grate. '_The turbines moving the ship must be behind that...' _He thought, thinking up a devilish idea.

Freezing the seawater outside the turbine he cut through the steel of the ship, creating an entrance to one of the turbines, seeing the blade still spin rapidly. He swung his massive sword at the turbine, slicing straight through the steel and cutting it in half, breaking the turbine completely.

Jumping backwards, he exhaled deeply, with his breath the ice outside returned to water, and the sea rushed into the bowels of the ship. Suigetsu wasted little time, collecting seawater before refreezing the hole up, he couldn't let the ship sink, he only intending to halt its movement.

With the seawater, he created a large wall of water surrounding him, before pushing it out. The water flooded the engines, dousing the fires and ruining the coal. He looked around at his handy work and smiled, before he felt the ship rock and grind to a halt, knocking him off balance.

'_I've done my job Naruto,_' He thought as he looked upwards to the ceiling. _'Now hurry and find Sasuke!'_

* * *

><p>As Naruto ran down a corridor he felt the ship come to a grinding halt, almost knocking him off balance, he looked backwards to the way he came and smiled to himself. '<em>Suigetsu succeeded...<em>' He thought proudly of his friend, even though there was never any doubt that he wouldn't. '_I should speed things up myself then._'

He continued running forwards once again, and two guards came into sight. He lowered his own body, he was smaller and lighter, he would make less sound and was much less visible even when simply crouching down.

"_The Fire Nation doesn't know of your existence entirely, we need to keep it that way."_

He remembered Sasuke's words before his capture, and the blonde could only tut in his mind. _'You haven't made this easy for me, Sasuke. But you're right, I need to lay low for now.'_

With speed he ran along the wall, before moving upside down on the ceiling, when he came directly above the guards he shifted his body around, grabbing both guards by the necks with his feet, he smashed their heads together, knocking them both out before carrying on his way.

He located the brig quickly, but was distraught to find it completely empty. _'This is definitely Azula's ship, she must be keeping Sasuke elsewhere.'_

He thought for a moment, thinking where on earth she could be keeping his raven haired friend. _'Do I have to capture her and find out from her where he is kept? But she's insane, she'll never crack and reveal it. I guess I'll have to look around this entire ship.'_ He tutted in his mind once again, before taking off back up a flight of stairs.

'_I'll start with Azula's quarters and make my way from there…'_

* * *

><p>Azula returned to Sasuke's room, who still stood in his chains. His head rose slowly to meet her in the eye as she moved closer towards him. "Have you thought about my offer?"<p>

"I have." Sasuke answered bluntly before a wicked, sly smirk grew on his face. "For so long I have been running from my past, and it haunted me, the pain it brought hunting me down like a wild animal…" His smirk turned into a vicious grin, dark and sinister. "I can escape it with you, together, we'll raze this world to the ground and create a new one out of its ashes."

Azula smiled. "I'm pleased." She moved towards him and embraced him in a kiss, this time however Sasuke kissed back. Both became enveloped in the intimacy, yet Sasuke still felt the chains release from around his wrists.

Once freed he grabbed her by the waist, spinning her around and pushed her against the wall, intimacy was replaced with forceful passion. He pulled her arms wide, pressing his chest against her own as they lips locked even tighter.

Yet her eyes widened after hearing a familiar click, she tried pushing him away, but found she couldn't move her arms. Sasuke halted the kissed and moved his head closer to her ear.

"I'm a better liar than you, Azula…"

His voice was soothing yet still poison to her ear. He pulled away from her revealing a sly smirk once again on his face. "It's funny that after all this time, I still hold the key to your heart. Because of that, I can control you perfectly." She tried to attack him, yet the chains once holding him now trapped Azula.

The ship rocked violently, moving from side to side. "I guess that's my cue to leave." He smiled at her one last time before turning and heading to the door. "You're good at masking your love and trust, Azula, but you never truly killed the feelings of them." He spoke over his shoulder.

"SASUKE!" She screamed with fury as he walked out of the room, before running down the corridor and out of her sight, leaving her alone once again.

* * *

><p>Sasuke ran through the steel corridors of the ship quickly, looking for an escape onto the deck, from there his escape was simple. He had mastered the secret Propulsion Technique, he would use his fire to fly away.<p>

In front of him though, he saw a guard smash against the wall, collapsing in a heap. Blonde hair darted out from the direction from where the guard had rocketed outwards, turning to face Sasuke and run towards him.

They stopped at another corridor leading an adjacent way to them. Before both running down that corridor together. "You should have come, Naruto!" Sasuke spoke as if he was angry and annoyed at his would be rescuer.

"Yes, because you clearly have this under control, don't you, Sasuke?" Naruto answered in a sarcastic, yet playful manner, looking over his shoulder to the twenty-five guards that were following Sasuke now following him as well.

"I still have it under control." Sasuke replied with a smirk full of confidence, and Naruto seemed to know exactly what he was planning, nodding in return to his grin.

Sasuke stopped, spinning around on the heel of his left foot. With great power with punched his fist forwards, from it a large ball of black fire escaped, so large that it hit the while size of the corridor, creating a wall between them and their chasers.

Naruto also stopped and turned, swirling his hands together before pushing them forwards, no one could see him, so he was safe.

He sent a large blast of air into the fire, which only increased their intensity and ferocity. The new super powered wall of black flame launched towards their chasers, sending them all backwards and crashing into the wall and one another at the top end of the corridor once again with immense speed and power.

Neither of them stopped to admire their handy work, they both continued on until the light of the sun once again was visible, they both ran out onto the deck where more guards were laying down defeated. Suigetsu stood lazily with his hand on his hip, the other hoisting the large sword over his shoulder, drops of blood dripped from the end of the blade. "Finally! Do you know how long I've had to keep myself busy waiting for you two!?" He said with a large grin towards the both of them.

"Well it looks to me that you had fun." Naruto smiled back to him. "Now let's get off this damn boat!" He commented as the three of the ran towards the edge of the ship.

"SASUKE!" They all turned in unison, seeing Azula, free from her restraints with her two female friends standing on either side of her. The make up around her eyes had stained and ran down her face, showing she had been crying heavily. "YOU WILL NOT LEAVE!" She screamed psychotically. "NOT AGAIN!"

She launched a massive blue fireball at the trio, Sasuke intercepted with a black fireball of his own. "We won't be able to leave until we've taken care of these three!" He grunted angrily before running backwards towards Azula, launching a flurry of fireballs to parry hers as he closed the distance.

Naruto and Suigetsu both split up as well, each taking one of Azula's friends. Naruto effortlessly dodged the gloomy chick's knives that she had thrown at him, before coming into quick close combat, yet she moved impressively as well, dodging all his attacks, whilst throwing knives at him to dodge simultaneously.

Suigetsu met the one with the long braid, swiping down at her with his large sword, yet she had stopped it, by performing a handstand and holding the blade between her feet expert. "Hi, I'm Suigetsu Hozuki." Suigetsu beamed at her in a friendly manner.

She returned the smile with a large beaming smile of her own. "Hi, I'm Ty Lee! And I got to say that you're such a cutie!"

"You're pretty cute as well. What do you say after this is all over we go get some tea?" He offered confidently, still smiling and trying to push the sword down to bisect her.

"Sure! Sounds like fun!" She beamed still, before performing very acrobatically, spinning around so she landed on the blade without being cut, running along it and executing a few quick jabs at Suigetsu, however he had quickly producing water from the areas where she struck, making her hit nothing but an armour of water.

Azula continued to launch fireballs at Sasuke, kicking a particularly powerful one at him, Sasuke moved around it perfectly, curving one back at her, she similarly dodged. Yet her face was full of rage, let out a loud, vile and seemingly painful war cry she threw another fireball without warning catching the black haired boy off guard, knocking him back.

Azula grinned madly, slapping her hands together to send a large stream of blue fire towards the dazed Sasuke.

Yet it was shock that appeared from her face, that blonde boy Sasuke was with appeared dropping down from the air. She looked over quickly to Mai, who had been knocked down momentarily, yet he had still used it to move so quickly in between them, and to have come from above as well.

He spun around rapidly in the air, and Azula saw her attack split in half, heading towards her. She could feel the pain coursing through her shoulder, she could hear the sound of the metal of her armour splitting, all while being launched backwards by some unknown force, it was like the wind had turned into a blade and moved against her. Her eyes widened even as she flew backwards away from them. '_That boy!_'

Ty Lee stopped fighting to watch Azula fly backwards worriedly, looking at the splashes of blood trailing away from her first location, she hurriedly over to Azula with worry. "Now's our chance! Gaara's waiting for us! Let's go!" Naruto yelled, and the three boys took off, all of them running and jumping over the ships edge and into the sea, before an ice platform rose with the three of them riding it, Sasuke propelling it forwards with powerful, continuous fire streams.

* * *

><p>"You just had to say it, didn't you Sokka?" Aang almost screamed as they ran through the library, trying to escape Wan Shi Tong, who had transformed and was chasing them furiously after discovering what they were using his library for.<p>

"I did what I had to, we need this information!" Sokka barked back as they ran quickly. "The exit is this way!"

They ran towards the centre, looking up at the window they entered. "How are we gonna get up there?" Katara asked aloud with dimming hope as she stared at the height of the of the window.

"My glider won't support three of us that high." Aang spoke sadly similar looking up to the window.

Sand began pooling, creating a platform that began ascending upwards. However, when they turned. They saw Gaara still on the floor, becoming smaller and smaller. "What are you doing!?"

"What I must." Gaara spoke in his usual tone, apparently not fearful of the furious spirit nearing them. "Wan Shi Tong will chase you as you rise, I will stop him."

They looked in utter horror and shock down at the red haired boy, who stared back up at them with no emotion. Tears began forming in Aang's eyes as he attempted to jump off the platform back down, yet a block of sand knocked him back and kept him on the platform. "But if you do that you'll-"

"If it is for the sake of the world, I'm willing to sacrifice everything." Gaara cut off Aang's words. "You are far more important to the world than I am. You will restore balance to the world Avatar. I am merely a stepping stone on the journey towards peace."

"Gaara!" They screamed down as they reached the window, Gaara had turned to the size of a small insect from the height of their exit.

"Go!" Gaara shouted back, turning around to face the spirit.

"I won't let you escape, Shukaku. Not my first live exhibit, especially one of such rarity." Wan Shi Tong spoke as he neared the red haired boy, but the spirit looked upwards to the others first. "But they come first!" The Owl took off into the air, chasing them up the tower of the library.

But a barrage of sand halted its flight, knocking it back downwards. Before they could react, Gaara tilted the platform towards the window, throwing them out of the library.

"If this is my destiny, I will accept it." Gaara muttered to himself, watching as the Owl Spirit recomposed itself before glaring furiously at the young Sandbender.

"You have sealed your own demise young Sandbender. You will not escape where we are going." Wan Shi Tong spoke angrily still.

Light began enveloping the spirit, as if transcending into a new world. Gaara watched as the light grew brighter and brighter, even now a smile grew on his face.

'_For longest of times I often questioned my own existence. Why did I exist? To simply serve others as a tool? To be discarded once I had exceeded my use. I was trapped in a dark void of loneliness without control of my own life.'_

A familiar pair of blue eyes, accompanied by bright spiky yellow hair and a wide, cheerful grin came to mind. '_**Naruto, you saved me once form that dark void, you gave me freedom and a purpose for existing. Because of you…'**_

"I'm finally able to live free and make my own choices!" he spoke aloud attacking the spirit with another blast of powerful sand even as the library around them began dissipating and deconstruction in the bright light surrounding it.

He felt the light hit him, watching as his own body began to deconstruct quickly, already erasing his arms and legs, moving up his torso towards his head. Yet a smile still presented itself proudly on his face. "Naruto, there is no doubt in my mind; even if it is against my wishes, you will save me again…"

As he embraced what was to come, closing his eyes and letting the light envelop him completely as the last parts of his body disappeared. His yellow haired friend was still in his mind.

.

.

.

.

.

.

_FIND ME!_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Hey there! DGS here! So I finally pulled an update out of my kiester and produced a decent enough chapter.

I have a lot of the story planned out, and in order for me too reach the fabulous plotlines I've built, I had to speed things up, hence why this chapter might appear to be a little fast paced and rushed.

The important thing here is that I've address the Siguo's leaders abilities, I've promoted them powerful benders, yet they've caved pretty easily. And frankly I need practise in writing fights where the combatants don't scream out there attacks names.

I could have extended Gaara's demise two a few chapters later, but that would mean rewriting canon, and nothing would be that different even with Gaara's insertion, so I didn't really see a point.

I say demise, however Gaara is not dead. Wan Shi Tong took his library back to the spirit world, so Gaara is merely trapped there. However more will be revealed later.

Azula's feelings for Sasuke also needs to be addressed. She does have strong feelings for him, as Sasuke is everything she desires, strong, powerful, unbreakable and does not fear her. For that she loves him, and despite his past actions of ditching her by letter and basically being a traitor to her family, she is still in love with him and trusts him completely. Sasuke however does not reciprocate these feelings, because of that he used her feelings to his own advantage, don't call him a dick for it. I'm sure most have you have done it some point.

The next chapter, because I feel it is a good time to tell it, will be Gaara's back story. In my own opinion I find Gaara's back story more painful than Sasuke's, so stay tuned for that.

Review if you have any queries, or similarly PM me I'll be happy to reply!

Til next time!

_D.G.S_


	6. The Spirit of the Sands

**The Four Nations**

Book 2: Earth**  
><strong>

Chapter 4.5: The Spirit of the Sands

by DeathGodSlayer

* * *

><p>"Why did you let Kyuubi run away, now we have to walk all the way back to Sìguó!" Suigetsu whined loudly as he wheezed out heavy breaths, trailing behind Sasuke and Naruto as they walked through the woods back on land.<p>

"I couldn't leave him waiting at the edge of the sea, he could have been captured. Don't worry, we'll find him soon enough." Naruto grinned over his shoulder towards his trailing friend.

Naruto suddenly stopped, a strange wave of concern overwhelmed him. "What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked, realising his yellow haired friend had stopped in his tracks.

"I don't know… I just got this strange, boding feeling… something's wrong…" Naruto replied, his brow furrowed with confusion.

He looked up to the blue sky, free from clouds and a clear bright blue. Only one thought came to his mind, he had no idea what it could mean, but the thought wouldn't leaving his mind.

'_Gaara…'_

* * *

><p>A young red haired boy sat on the dirty street floor as the sun set crying, his body was covered in scratches and bruises, from his latest attempt to acquire some food for himself, he had not been successful, and in the times he lived in, the world divided and in unrest, and merchants, no matter the age of the thief would not tolerate a single loss of stock, he had paid the consequences for his failure. Luckily the merchant to some amount of pity on him for being a child and didn't rough him up too badly, enough to teach the boy a lesson but not enough to seriously harm him.<p>

And so the boy sat, sobbing and starving, so began another long night from a rumbling stomach and unsuccessful attempts to sleep. He would move soon, to find a safe place to hide from other homeless people, those who wouldn't be so kind to him. For now he sat, his legs feeling too weak to carry him just yet.

"Why are you crying, boy?" He looked up, through the tears he saw a man with a soft face, two smaller forms stood behind him, one a slightly taller girl with very light brown hair tied back into for pig tails, the shorter one a small boy with darker brown hair like the man, but had a rather grumpy look on his face.

They were a family... A family… Something he himself had never had, all he had ever had from his parents was a name, given to him before they passed away, struck down during a Fire Nation raid. The orphanage told him he called himself that when he entered the establishment; Gaara. It wasn't long before he left it though, he was small, skinny and frail. An easy target for the bigger bullies, as broken as he was himself who lived at the orphanage, an easy target to take their hate out on. His hair was red, the Fire Nation's colour was red, it was a good enough correlation for them to focus their anger and hate towards him.

"Get away from me!" He screamed at the man, not because he was angry at the man's obvious wealth considering his clothing, not because of the slight plumpness his children showed, likely from steady meals. It was because they were a family he couldn't stand to be near them, they reminded him too much of what he didn't have.

"Real men don't cry." The man spoke softly despite being shouted at, a soft smile still remaining on his face. "Real men do not let their emotions show, they stay strong and fearless in any situation." He smiled again before nudging his children away, walking away and leaving the boy alone again.

* * *

><p>The young Gaara traipsed the full moon lit streets of the small town. He had left the spot he was crying and was moving to find appropriate shelter ready for the long night ahead. When he heard the screams, finding the alley the originated from, he saw the man from earlier with his two children pressed back against the wall by a group of men, cursing him and his wealth, asking why he hasn't shared it, and how that was about to change.<p>

Gaara didn't know why, but he felt compelled to help them. "Leave them alone." He called out, failing to mask the fear in his voice. What would he presence do to change what was going to happen. Five men against himself, he stood no chance.

The men of course laughed at his statement. "What's an orphaned street rat like you going to change?" One mocked. Before two of them began closing in on him.

With one hit Gaara felt to the floor, a foot stomped onto his head. The boy screamed, and in response the Earth moved, sending a pillar upwards into each of his attackers, knocking them into the air.

The other three looked in fear. "T-The kid's an Earthbender! I thought they all moved away years ago!" One of the men remaining exclaimed in fear. It was ability that, no matter the size and strength difference, as non-benders, they couldn't compare to. Quickly they high tailed it out of the area, running straight passed Gaara and back into the darkness.

The man with his children approached Gaara, extended a hand to him. "Thank you. You saved us. I promise you I will repay the debt to you." The man smiled towards him as softly as before. "Come, I will give you a home, a family. Never again will you be alone, never again will you be hungry."

* * *

><p>Gaara stepped into his new clothes, he had been bought new sandals, but had left them on the side. He had grown big in only a few years, he had grown strong. His father had provided him with the best Earthbender teachers in the Earth Kingdom, and he excelled beyond all of their expectations, within a year he had progressed to advanced forms, by the second year he had master 17 of the 42 different master techniques in Earthbending. He could protect his family with his abilities, he loved them, and they loved him back.<p>

As he walked along the halls he stumbled across a room that apparently with haste or without care the door hadn't been closed properly, it wasn't of note, until he grew close enough to hear the conversation going on inside.

"I don't understand why you keep that street rat around. Honestly, it sickens me to think he actually believes he is part of this family!" He heard his mother say from the inside, his eyes widening with shock and horror at this revelation.

"Enough. Gaara has proved himself useful. He has protected our family for many year and will continue to do so. He will protect Temari and Kankuro in the future. We must remain as we are, continue to show him love. His natural skill at Earthbending makes the townspeople fear him, therefore fear us. Crime has lowered drastically, taxes are being paid in abundance. My grip over the town has improved drastically since I acquired him, Gaara is a good tool."

Gaara stepped away from the door in horror. It was a lie, everything was always just a lie. He believed they had loved him as he did them, but he was misguided. He was nothing to these people but an object, they didn't look at him like a son, merely an item to be used as and when it its purpose was fulfilled.

He did the only thing he could think of, he ran. He had no reason to stay anymore. This wasn't his family, this was never his family no matter what he had believed. New thoughts now began to grow in his mind, ideas of disgust. What was family? He never knew love, and his trust was broken in those he thought to love. He had no need for it anymore, no need for family and love, he would be by himself, only himself.

The new idea plagued him as he escaped through the streets. He wouldn't turn back, he would not get emotional towards his depart from this town. Real men do not show their emotions.

* * *

><p>Gaara stepped onto the golden sand of Si Wong Desert, looking around he saw nothing but the soft surface, as far as his eyes could perceive there was no sturdy rock, no solid ground he could bend to create shelter. For weeks he had walked, not knowing where the roads would take him, but they had led him to this new environment.<p>

Quickly he tried to bend the sand, a simple Earthbending manoeuvre from the very basics, a forward thrust. But the sand was flimsy, the sand moved only briefly like the small ripples of a puddle. Something overcame the young red haired boy, something he hadn't experienced for many years. Fear. How could he survive in a place like this, where his prodigious bending was now useless? Had he made a mistake coming to this place?

Then he saw it, like a ship on the sea, some vessel carried people across the sand. They were fully covered in rags and robes, their bodies covered by the unbearable rays of the sun. But their clothing wasn't what enthralled him, it was what was in the middle of the vessel. A whirlwind, small and controlled, created entirely of sand pushed the vessel forwards like the wind pushed a sail. His eyes focused on the people creating it, they were Earthbenders, Earthbenders who had adapted to this new landscape.

Fierce determination overwhelmed him. Gaara vowed that he would master this new art, or he would let this desert take him beneath the sandy waves.

* * *

><p>'<em>Months have been and gone since I came here…'<em> Gaara looked across the vast desert, his home now. For months he had followed Sandbenders, learned their techniques from afar, watching their actions. They were not peaceful people; they preyed on travellers crossing the desert, taking their belongings and food before leaving them stranded. I sickened him. Sandbending had come as a second nature to him, but he would not act as they did.

His eyes moved to the Sandbenders, in their vessels circling weakened travellers. From the distance he punched the air, and a blast of sand followed. It struck the vessel with force even from the distance it was launched from. Another followed hitting the second vessel and knocking it over.

He had done this countless time now. He spun around quickly on the sand, with seconds a massive whirlwind of sand formed, from the distance he launched it again, becoming a powerful sandstorm that enveloped the Sandbenders. But within the eye of the storm, protected from its ferocity were the travellers. The storm threw the Sandbenders away from the small group of travellers, and after that attack the Sandbenders gave up their assault, fleeing into the horizon.

The sandstorm subsided moments later. "It was him, he protected us! The Spirit of the Sands!" He could hear one of the travellers shout with utmost excitement and praise.

"Bless you, Shukaku! Bless you!" Was what he heard next from the group of weary travellers, he turned and began walking away, back into the vast desert.

* * *

><p>'<em>How many people has Shukaku, the Spirit of the Sand saved? How many people have I saved?'<em> Gaara contemplated, his time in this desert had been dedicated to the lost travellers traversing through its waves. His Sandbending had improved to something that others believed was not from this world, that it must be a spiritual force, not a human's dedication to bettering themselves.

"UGH! It's so hot!" He heard someone whine loudly, turning he saw a boy, with weird bright yellow hair, riding on a large fox with nine tails waving behind it. They moved slowly, the boy stroking the fur behind the fox's ear. "Don't worry, Kyuubi. We'll find some water soon."

The boy then caught glance of Gaara, and instantly beamed at him. "Hey, why are you out here by yourself?" He called out to him, the fox moving towards him now.

"This is my home." Gaara replied after a few moments of silence, staring blankly back at this strange yellow haired boy. "Si Wong Desert is my home."

"This can't be that good a home." The boy mumbled out as he stepped off of the fox to walk closer to him. "I plan to build my own home at some point, then after that I'll create a village and protect everyone who comes to it. You can come with me if you want?" He grinned at the end of his sentence.

And Gaara's brow furrowed intensely, this boy, he had the same smile as that man. The one who promised him a home before, the one who gave him nothing but lies. "I am no one's tool!" Gaara screamed, launching a small sandstorm at the boy.

Yet the boy did not cower, instead he jumped towards it and with one slice of his arm swiped through it, blasting the storm into pieces. "That was some powerful Sandbending. There's all these rumours through the oasis's I pass through, about a Spirit who watches over weary travellers. Shukaku the Sand Spirit, to think it was a human and not spiritual intervention!" The boy laughed loudly to Gaara's confusion.

"You are still a tool." The boy's laughter suddenly died down, looking seriously at Gaara. "You are the people's tool. What would happen if you stopped protecting them? They would turn against you. You owe these people, this place nothing."

Gaara's eyes lowered to the sand, what the boy said were things he himself had thought. Why did he remain here to protect them?

"If you come with me, you won't be my tool. You'll be my friend."

Gaara's eyes widened as he looked back towards the grinning yellow haired boy. Friend. Like family it was something he had never experienced, what differentiated friend from family, was it just blood? Or could friends become family, those who love and are loved in return. He smiled at the thought, things could be different this time.

The grinned even wider as he began to laugh. "My name is Naruto by the way. And together, we'll create a place of peace, love and harmony. We'll create history!""

* * *

><p>"Finally you guys are back!" Toph exhaled with relief as she fuzzily felt the group hit the sand after dropping out of the window as the library finally sunk beneath the sand. "I tried stopping the library from sinking, but it was so hard getting my footing on this sand."<p>

Aang looked around at the empty desert, seeing only Toph standing with them. Instantly his mind was filled with worry. "Where's Appa?"

Toph was similarly filled with worry, feeling only four three people land on the desert's sand, she knew Aang's, Katara's and Sokka's weight easily enough. "Where's Gaara?..."

* * *

><p>"My apologies, Princess, but I'm afraid that wound will scar you for life." Her ship's doctor spoke as he finished wrapping the bandages around her chest, covering her torso and arms with white fabric. "I do not know how a bending art had managed to inflict such a wound, the style and penetration appears more like the cause was a sword, not a bending attack." He finished saying before bowing to Azula and making his way out.<p>

"It'll be okay Azula, your armour will cover the scar. And you still have your looks." Ty Lee tried to speak cheerfully and bring her friend's confidence back up.

Azula only continued to glare furiously at the bed sheets, her hands gripping the cloth tighter as her teeth clenched. "To think Sasuke was hiding such a secret from the world, from me!" She cursed the black her boy evilly with a venomous breath."

"What happened Azula? One minute you were fighting with Sasuke, the next you were on the floor far away from him with that in your chest." Mai spoke as dully as usual as she leaned against the wall of the infirmary room.

"Send a messenger Hawk out to my father immediately, we have discovered a shocking discovery." She ordered to Mai aggressively. "Tell him there is a yellow haired boy travelling with Sasuke, probably living in that village, Sìguó. Tell him, the Avatar is not the last Airbender. Tell him that yellow haired boy… HE'S an Airbender as well!"

* * *

><p>AN: Hey there! I'M BACK! Well not really, that's really what I'd like to say. I'm trying to get back into writing, and I could give a variety of resaons as to why I haven't been typing. But honestly, I just got bored of FanFiction, the stories I like to read are never updated so I stopped coming on FanFiction.

This chapter was Gaara's backstory. I wrote it after I lost my flare, would of it have been better otherwise? Yes maybe, I think Gaara's backstory had the potential to be more sad than Sasuke's, but bad writing and rush have not allowed it to meet that potential. It's not bad, but it could have been better.

Next chapter is whenever I manage to get it done, but I have in no way abandoned or discontinued any of my stories except The Namikage, I just need time to get my flare back.

_D.G.S_


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